The Story of Will Solace
by WhatComesFromWithin
Summary: This is Will Solace's backstory. Join him on his journey to Camp Half-Blood, as he struggles to find his place, as he watches his friends die and betray each other, and as he generally makes the world a brighter place. Rated T just in case. I do not own Percy Jackson or any of its characters. All rights go to Rick Riordan.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, guys! First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and followed** ** _Wanderlust_** **and** ** _The Solace of the Sea_** **. It means a lot to me. Secondly, lots of you seem to want a second chapter to** ** _The Solace of the Sea_** **, which I was not planning on writing. However, I've been wanting to explore Will's backstory for a while now, and I think that this might explain some of what Will felt in my other story. I will put warnings in the beginning of chapters as I see fit. I'm trying to be as consistent with the books as possible, but please forgive me if I'm not exactly correct about a character's age or something. I hope you enjoy!**

"Will! Come inside, quickly!"

Will looked up from where he was playing with his doctor's kit. It wasn't a _real_ doctor's kit because Mama said he couldn't have a real one until he was a real doctor. But he had really wanted one, so she went to the toy store and bought him a plastic one so he could practice. Right now he was putting away his stethoscope after trying to listen to his own heartbeat. Mama was too busy to let him try it out on her. She always was. Will wished he had a sibling. Or a dad.

When his mother called him, he stood up and, gathering up his doctor's kit, said, "Why?"

His mother moved from her position in the doorway and started walking toward him hurriedly. Her green eyes glowed with concern, and strands of her auburn hair had escaped the messy bun at the nape of her neck. Will looked nothing like Mama. He had blue eyes and blonde hair. His skin had always had a natural tan tone to it, he was tall and he had freckles. His mom was on the shorter side, with pale but flawless skin. She was making her way to him, her pace quickening by the second.

"Will!" She called. "Will, come here!"

Will was confused, but he ran to meet his mother. Without stopping, she grabbed his shoulders and directed him toward their small suburban house. The wind was starting to pick up. Mama's skirt was whipping around, and Will was squinting from the force of it. They made it to the house, and Mama threw open the back door and practically shoved Will inside. The wind was so forceful by now that she had to push her shoulder against the door to close it. When she had, Naomi Solace turned around and looked at her son.

"Will, you need to get out of here,"

Will was so confused. What just happened? Why did Mama look so scared? Why did she want him to leave? Did he do something wrong? "But-"

"Will, I need you to go. Now. It's for your own good. You can't live here anymore."

Will's eyes widened and filled with tears. "I don't want to leave!" he wailed. Naomi pulled him against her chest and kissed his forehead before taking his doctor's kit from his hands and shoving a suitcase in it instead.

"I've packed your stuff for you. Listen, Will, I don't know when I'm going to see you again, but you have to believe me when I say that you leaving is for your own safety. Henry is waiting for you outside. He'll take you to your new home." She started speaking very quickly, as if afraid she wouldn't be able to finish what she was saying. Her next sentences made little sense to Will. "We can write each other every month, and you can come visit on holidays. Be a good boy for Henry, okay, Will? You'll be happier where you're going, anyway. I'll see you soon." And with that she walked him to the front door and called for their neighbor, Henry. "Henry! I have Will! He's ready, but you two have to hurry!"

Henry Thicket was one of their neighbors. He was tall and gangly, with curly black hair and eyes the color of cinnamon. Henry was around fifteen years old, but he still played with Will when he could, even though Will was only seven. Will didn't know why his mother wanted him to go with Henry, or why Henry had agreed to take him there.

All Will knew as he was ushered out of the door and into the backseat of Henry's van was that his mother hadn't even told him that she loved him.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Will asked Henry. Henry glanced back at him. He was driving- speeding, really- down the highway.

The muscles in his face tensed as he said, "We're going to a place where you'll be safe, Will. You'll like it there; there are lots of fun things to do. I'll give you a tour once we arrive. But it'll be a long time before we get there. It's all the way in New York."

" _New York_?" Will gasped. He had never been outside his Tennessee town. Going to a different state was an alien concept to him, but going to New York was as foreign as snow in his mind. Will had heard many stories about the Big Apple- how great it was, how people went there in search of adventure, how it helped people discover who they were. Will supposed that it would be nice to feel like he had a purpose, but did he really have to leave Tennessee to find it? And did he have to leave Mama? He asked Henry the question that had been burning in the back of his mind ever since his Mama called his name. "Why do I have to leave?"

Henry didn't ease the accelerator at all. "...something is chasing you, Will. It was about to find you, and we had to get out of there to keep you safe from it. Where we're going, it can't get you. You'll be protected. But we have to get there quickly."

Will was feeling very frustrated and impatient. "But _where_ is this place? What's chasing me? Why- why couldn't Mama come?" Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he said the last sentence.

"We're going to a place called Camp Half-Blood. That's all I can tell you right now, Will. I'm sorry. As for your mom...well, she isn't allowed at Camp Half-Blood."

Will was about to ask _why?_ when something slammed into the side of the car.

Will and Henry were screaming as they skidded off the highway and into a ditch on the side of the road. There was a long gash on Will's forehead; he could feel the blood trickling down his face. Henry's arms and face were littered with scratches from the shrapnel. Honestly, they were lucky it wasn't worse. Will was sitting in his seat, shell-shocked, when Henry yelled at him. "Will! Get out of the car! Go through the window! Hurry!"

Will could barely comprehend what was going on, but he was able to register the window to his left that had been smashed to pieces during the collision. Hands shaking, he undid his seatbelt and climbed out of the demolished vehicle. Henry was waiting for him. He grabbed Will's upper arms and helped him to his feet before taking off running, not relinquishing his hold on Will. Henry kept murmuring things like, "I promise you'll make it to camp. I won't fail. You'll survive," It all sounded like delirious gibberish to Will, but it seemed to motivate Henry, so Will didn't comment, even though he wanted to.

"W-what's happening?" Will asked, trying to keep up with Henry. "The car, it- what just happened?"

Henry glanced back at Will, and there was fear and sympathy in his cinnamon eyes, as if this was a scene in a story that he had heard over and over again. He knew what would happen to the main character, but he still felt worried about what would happen to him, and felt intense sadness for him. "It was a monster, Will. An anemoi is after us- well, you."

Will didn't even know how to pronounce that. "A what?"

"An anemoi. A storm spirit. Mortals will think that they're just seeing another tornado, which will provide the best cover for the anemoi to kill you."

Will nearly stopped running out of shock. The sky was slowly darkening and the wind had started to pick up even more speed. It matched Will's mood. " _Kill_ me? What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, Will. It's just that...the monsters don't like you."

"But Mama said monsters don't exist,"

Henry's face was grave when he responded. "Oh, they're real. Very real. And you'll die at the hands of one if we don't find help soon."

Will didn't know where they were running or how long they had been at it, but he did know that he was getting tired. Quickly. But when he voiced this to Henry, Henry just started to run faster, tugging on Will's arm and dragging him along.

The wind continued to pick up. Thankfully, it was blowing toward them, so they didn't have to run against it. However, that didn't stop all the dirt and dust from swirling in the air around them, entering their lungs and stinging their eyes, momentarily blinding them. Will was panting heavily and coughing frequently. Still, he run as fast as he could. He didn't know why, but he felt a sense of urgency that told him he needed to get to the place Henry had described.

"Henry! Henry! Over here!"

Henry looked around for the source of the voice, Will trying to follow his gaze, but it was almost impossible with all the dust. Henry seemed to like whatever it was he saw, though, because he started to pull Will toward it. As they got closer, Will saw the silhouette of a boy who looked around the same age as Henry. The boy had pale blue eyes and pale blonde hair. He was tall and had an athletic build. But Will didn't focus on any of that. All he was able to process was that the boy was carrying a bronze sword in his hand.

"H-Henry," Will began. "Is that a _sword_?"

Henry didn't look at Will as he answered. "Yeah. I'm hoping that that sword will kill that anemoi."

Even though he knew that this anemoi thing was trying to kill _him_ , Will couldn't help but feel that that was the _wrong_ answer to their scenario. Hurting people...it didn't sit right with Will. Right then and there, Will knew that he would never be able to kill one of those monsters. It just wasn't right. He helped people, not hurt them.

Henry and Will reached the boy. The guy had a commanding aura around him. It was like people couldn't help but obey his orders. He seemed so sure and confident in the way he stood, and even in his silence. This guy, Will figured, knew what he was doing.

"Henry, you and the kid get behind me. I'll kill that storm cloud, no problem." Blonde Guy spoke, and yeah, Will found himself obeying without any hesitation.

Then the winds formed a silhouette in front of Will. Grey clouds and particles of dust and dirt all swirled together and made the shape of a human. Well, the top half, anyway. The bottom was still a vortex of clouds and wind. Soon the head and torso of the creature had solidified enough that it looked _exactly_ like a human's would. If he didn't know better, Will would have that that this guy really was...a guy. It looked like he had flesh, not skin of dust. But he did. His eyes were just as fiercely grey as the clouds he was made of. His hair was dark and windswept. The look in his eyes was unpredictable, the way storms could be. Honestly, the guy- monster?- was handsome. Even Will could appreciate that.

The anemoi spoke. "Well, well. What do we have here? A satyr, sent out to protect a young demigod. Will Solace, no less. Well, I hate to break it to you, satyr, but he isn't even _worth_ protecting. That kid will be nothing but a burden to you. Just like he was to his mom."

Blonde Guy thrust his sword slightly forward, threateningly. "No one is a burden. Everyone is worth protecting. I don't care who their parents are; your parents don't define you, and they never will. We are who we choose to be. No one can tell us that we're supposed to do something, or that we're not supposed to do something. Who are you to decide that this kid isn't gonna do great things?"

"Who are you to talk, son of Hermes? Do you even know what _you_ will do, much less this child? You talk about no one being a burden, but what of your own mother? Was she not a burden to you?" The anemoi snarled. "I'll make you a deal: Hand over Will Solace, and I'll let you and the satyr go free. That's more than fair, is it not?"

Will didn't know who Hermes was, but his 'son' got in a fighting stance, brandishing his sword in front of him. "I don't bargain with my enemy. All three of us are leaving Tennessee alive. You, however, are not." And with that Blonde Guy sprang into action, battling the storm spirit. Will could barely follow what he was seeing. The fighter seemed almost unaffected by the winds buffeting his clothing. His sword was a blur of dim light, and soon it hit its mark. The storm spirit exploded into dust, and the winds stopped abruptly. Will was amazed. He had never seen anyone do anything like that before. It was- incredible.

Henry's shoulders relaxed for the first time that day. "Thanks, man. You came just in time. I didn't know how much longer Will would last, and I did _not_ want to go against an anemoi with my reed pipes while defending a seven-year-old."

"Don't mention it," Blonde Guy said. He turned to Will. "Hey, Will. It's nice to meet you. I was sent to help you and Henry get to Camp Half-Blood safely. I'm Luke Castellan, son of Hermes."

* * *

Luke guided them toward another van. He'd told Will that after they all got some dinner, he'd answer Will's questions. Which was good, because Will had a _lot_ of questions.

They all loaded themselves into the van and started driving. Will was ecstatic that he didn't have to sit in a booster seat. Henry explained that it was okay because they were in an emergency situation. Once everyone had settled, Luke started to drive down the highway.

"Do you have a license, Luke?" Henry asked.

Luke shook his head. "Just my permit. But I look old enough. Besides, we won't get pulled over by the police; I'm a careful driver."

Will stayed quiet while Henry and Luke made casual conversation. Even though he knew it was ridiculous, he felt kinda left out. Well, he always felt left out. His mother was always too busy to play with him or spend time with him, claiming that she needed to practice for her next concert. She had only ever even taken Will to see her perform a couple times, and she usually left him with one of the stagehands. Once the concert was over, she would go to her dressing room, where Will wasn't allowed to go, and take a nap.

He didn't have many friends at school. All the other boys his age were obsessed with pirates and superheroes. All the girls stuck together and played with dolls, which Will was not interested in doing at all. His teacher was fairly nice. She had given him an interactive diagram of the human body so that he could disassemble and reassemble it, putting the bones, muscles, and organs in their proper place. That's what Will always did during recess. He stayed inside with his teacher and sat at his desk reviewing human anatomy. Alone. But that was okay. Will liked- or rather, was used to- solitude.

Finally, they made it to a Chik-Fil-A. Will was happily eating his chicken nuggets and french fries when Luke asked him a question.

"So, Will...do you happen to know who your dad is?"

Will shook his head. "No, Mama said he was mean and left right after I was born."

Luke nodded like this didn't surprise him. "But did she ever tell you his name?"

Again, Will shook his head. "No. She never really talks about him." Then Will asked, "What does my dad have to do with anything?"

Henry answered him. "The whole reason Camp Half-Blood is a safe place for you is because...your dad is a god, Will."

Will was confused. "My dad is God?"

Henry shook his head. "No, one of the _gods_ , plural. Have you ever heard of the Greek gods, Will? Like Zeus?"

He vaguely remembered hearing about Zeus and some of the other gods, but only in passing. "I think so,"

"Well," Henry said. "Your dad is one of them. We're just trying to figure out which one." And with that, Henry took a big bite out of his...fork?

"Henry," Will said, eyes wide, "You just ate your fork,"

Luke started laughing, and Henry looked slightly sheepish. Henry said, "Yeah, I eat forks and napkins and things like that. I'm a satyr."

"What's a satyr?"

Luke answered him. "A satyr is a creature from Greek mythology who has the upper half of a human, and the lower half of a goat. They're protectors of demigods. I'm a demigod. My dad is the god Hermes. You're a demigod, too, Will. We just don't know who you're the son of yet."

Henry removed his shoes just enough to show Will the hooves where his feet should have been. Then he lifted up the cuff of his jeans to reveal shaggy brown fur.

"Woah," Will said.

Henry and Luke both laughed a little. "Do you have any questions for us?" Henry asked him.

Will nodded eagerly. "Who's Hermes?"

Luke's face soured just slightly before he smiled again. "Hermes is the Greek god of messengers, thieves, travelers, and just about anyone else who walks down a road."

Next question. "Who do you think my dad is?"

Luke and Henry both had thoughtful expressions on their faces. Henry said, "Well, none of the Big Three. They aren't allowed to have children anymore."

"Maybe you'll be my brother," Luke said, though he looked doubtful.

To Luke, Henry said, "He has an obsession with doctor stuff, but any kid could go through a phase like that. I wouldn't say Ares, though. Will's too gentle for that."

They turned to face Will again. "Whoever you're the son of," Luke said. "You'll have plenty of people to look out for you at camp. It'll be a home to you."

As they continued eating, Will thought about how much he'd like that. A real home, with people who loved him. Suddenly he couldn't wait to get to Camp Half-Blood.

 **A/N: Well, there's Chapter 1! I should have Chapter 2 up soon. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey! Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed! It made my day. We'll be meeting lots of old characters in this one, as well as some OC's.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of its characters. All rights go to Rick Riordan. I own only the plot and the characters that you do not recognize.**

Will learned lots on his journey to Camp Half-Blood. He learned that demigods were constantly fighting to survive, which seriously put a damper on the whole your-parent-is-an-all-powerful-god thing. Not only that, but apparently the gods sometimes didn't care enough to claim their children as their own. Ouch. It made Will wonder if he would be important enough to his dad for his father to acknowledge him as his son.

Henry, Luke, and Will had been driving toward New York for a couple days. They had had to take a long route to try and avoid major monster areas, but they still had to stop frequently to fend off whatever came after them. And, of course, there was also basic human needs to consider. They needed food, and rest. They slept in the car. No hotels. Too risky. So, yeah, getting to Camp Half-Blood took a while. But they made it.

A cyclops was running after them. Their car had been destroyed, and now they were running for their lives, something that Will had gotten quite good at. With a final swing of his sword, Luke hit the cyclops so that they had just enough time to run across the border while the monster recovered. Will didn't feel any different when he crossed the border, but Henry and Luke stopped running and started panting heavily, smiling with relief.

Will, however, kept tugging at them. "C'mon, it's still there! We have to run!" Luke just laughed and ruffled Will's hair. Then the cyclops came up just behind them, raised its club, and brought it down upon them. Will flinched and clenched his eyes shut, but the pain never came. When he opened his eyes, he realized that some kind of invisible force had stopped the club. The cyclops kept hitting his club against the barrier, but he made no progress.

Henry looked at his confused face and laughed. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Will. That is the border. Only demigods, satyrs, nymphs, and Chiron can come in. Everything else needs permission from someone inside camp."

People started to come up the crest of the hill. One boy, who looked to be around ten, with brown eyes and black hair, came up and congratulated them.

"Chiron is gonna be here in a minute. He was helping someone in the infirmary. Connor went to get him." Turning to Will, the boy said, "I'm Michael Yew, son of Apollo. Who are you?"

"Will Solace," Will said, still feeling a bit in awe of the magical border.

Another boy walked toward them. He seemed about thirteen. His forest green eyes were full of life, and the sun illuminated his dark blonde hair wherever he walked. Looking at Will, he said, "I'm Lee Fletcher, head counselor of the Apollo Cabin. It's nice to meet you, Will."

As Will shook the hand that was offered to him, he said, "It's nice to meet you, too."

A girl from the crowd spoke up. "Aw! His southern accent is _so_ cute!" The girl had black hair and blue eyes, and Will could see lots of guys staring at her.

Then, Will saw a man with a neatly trimmed beard in a wheelchair move forward. "Ah," He said, "Welcome back, Henry, Luke." Turning to address Will, he said, "This, my boy, is Camp Half-Blood, a safe place for all demigods. I trust that Luke and Henry explained what that is to you?" After Will nodded, he continued. "I am Chiron. And you, I believe I heard, are Will Solace. Is that correct?" Another nod from Will. "Well, Will, all we have to do now is wait for you to be claimed. Silena, will you please show Will around until dinner?"

The pretty girl from earlier stepped forward. "Of course, Chiron. C'mon, Will,"

When Will hesitated, Luke put a hand on his shoulder and encouraged him forward. "It's alright, Will. You can trust everyone here."

Will looked at Luke, and he realized that he _did_ trust him. Smiling a little at Luke, he turned and followed Silena.

* * *

Will sat with Luke and the rest of the Hermes Cabin at the campfire that night. His whole day had been full of amazing sights. While it seemed dangerous (to Will, at least), the climbing wall had been pretty cool. He had spent a while staring and waving at the nymphs in the lake before Silena had huffed and told him to stop encouraging them. When Will had asked what she meant, she had smirked at him and said she'd tell him when he was a little older. She had proceeded to show him the archery range, the sword fighting arena, Zeus' Fist, the pegasus stables, and the firework beach. Luke had kept him by his side ever since the tour was over, explaining that he would be in the Hermes' Cabin until he was claimed by his father. Luke had guided him through dinner, and now he was steering Will through his first campfire.

They had just finished singing "This Land is Minos' Land" when everyone suddenly gasped and turned to stare at Will. A little anxious, Will asked Luke, "What's going on?"

Luke was staring at a point directly above Will's head. Grinning, and not moving his eyes, he replied, "Will, look up,"

Will did, and what he saw took his breath away. There, floating above his head, casting a radiant glow over Will, was a golden lyre. Will stared at it, awestruck, wondering what it meant.

Luke said, "You are Will Solace, son of Apollo, god of music, poetry, medicine, archery, and a ton of other things."

From across the fire, Lee Fletcher stood up. "Will! Come and join your family!" After an encouraging nudge from Luke, Will did. He was received with warm smiles and enthusiastic clapping from his brothers and sisters. He felt so...appreciated. He had literally only just found out that he had half-brothers and sisters, but he already felt like this was where he was meant to be, and that these people were the people he was meant to be around. Okay, maybe he wasn't completely sure about his new siblings yet. But he wanted to find out all that he could about them. And he had a gut feeling that he would like them.

Lee guided Will to an empty seat between him and Michael. A girl a little older than him turned around from in front of Will so that she could talk to him. She had auburn hair and honey eyes. "I'm Ally," she said, smiling at him warmly. "Where are you from, Will?"

He smiled right back at her and said, "I'm from Tennessee,"

A couple more girls turned around. "Aw, I love your southern twang!" one gushed.

"Hey, Will, your mother wouldn't happen to be _Naomi_ Solace, would she?" the other asked.

He nodded. The three girls squealed. "She's one of my favorite country artists!" Ally said. "She has a real gift- it's no wonder Will here exists. If I was Apollo, I'd want to-"

"Woah!" Lee said. Will felt Lee's hands cover his ears. Though muffled, Will could make out Lee's voice saying, "He's seven, Ally, watch what you say. Brooke, Fae, quit interrogating him. Let him enjoy his first campfire in peace." Lee's hands left his ears.

Rolling their eyes at Lee, the three girls all turned around.

Will had a great time at the campfire. As head counselor, Lee led a lot of the songs, and it was cool to see him singing into a microphone and playing the acoustic guitar. Will's mom might have earned a living through music, but Will thought it was impressive no matter how often he saw it. He couldn't even dream of being able to play a guitar and sing at the same time. Remembering the words and tune to a song while playing an instrument flawlessly? To Will, it was as difficult as climbing the rock wall while tying your shoe.

Afterwards, Lee led them back to the Apollo Cabin. Michael kept pace with Will and pointed out different people to him on the way back. "See that girl over there with the Ares campers? She's tough, and trouble. _Never_ pick a fight with her. Over there, those two guys are the Stoll brothers. They prank everyone. If it happens to you, don't take it personally unless you did something to get on their bad side. Lee does a good job threatening them, so you shouldn't have to worry about them right now, especially since they're not supposed to prank the new campers." Michael pointed to a group of kids, the majority of which had grey eyes. "See that girl with the blonde, curly hair? That's Annabeth. She's only nine, but she's one of the smartest campers. She's also beginning to show promise with a dagger."

"Does everyone here fight?" Will asked, eyes going a bit wide. His stomach clenched at the thought. Will didn't think he'd ever be able to hurt anyone- demigod, mortal, or monster. It just didn't sit right with him. Hurting people...he thought it would hurt _him_ more than he would be able to hurt _them_.

To Will's dismay, Michael nodded. "Well, yeah. We have to defend ourselves from monsters, y'know? If we don't fight...we die. I know it sounds harsh, but the sooner you know that, the more likely it is you'll survive."

They arrived at the Apollo Cabin. Will thought it looked incredible. It was made of pau amarillo wood, and the whole cabin seemed to glow. The windows reflected the light from the dying sun, and were designed so that Will couldn't see inside of them from outside the cabin. He observed the intricate design on the columns. It looked like laurel leaves had been carved into the wood. There was a statue of a guy that Will could only assume was Apollo holding a lyre on the porch. By the door was a huge quiver stocked full of golden arrows.

It was just as impressive on the inside. As Will entered the cabin after Michael and Lee, he stared at his surroundings. There was a skylight in the ceiling, and it let in just enough light to illuminate the cabin. Bunk beds were lined against two of the walls, two trunks placed at the bottom of each one. There were two bathrooms, both located against the back wall. Everyone made their way toward their respective beds, chatting amongst themselves. Will stood in the doorway awkwardly. Thankfully, Lee came over to him.

"Here, Will," he said. "This will be your bed. It's one of the only empty bunk beds, so you won't have to worry about climbing up and down at night, or anyone climbing above you. My bed is right here," Lee pointed to the bed directly to the left of Will's, the bottom bunk. "If you ever need anything or you just can't sleep, feel free to wake me up- I won't mind. You can put your things in this trunk," Lee led him over to one of the trunks by his bunk. He helped Will to unpack the few things he had with him: a few shirts, a couple of pairs of jeans, underwear, some socks, and an extra pair of shoes. His mom had also packed him a picture of the two of them. It had been taken on Will's seventh birthday. They had gone canoeing that day, and Will was leaning against his mom's chest. They were both smiling, the sun reflecting on the water behind them. Will had on a big orange lifesaver, and Mama had almost dropped her phone while taking the picture, resulting in the picture appearing a little lopsided. But both of them loved it, and Will was glad that she had packed it for him.

"C'mon," Lee said. "Let's introduce you to everybody." Lee sat next to Will on Will's bed and told Will to cover his ears before whistling loudly to get everyone's attention. "Alright, guys! As you all know, we have a new sibling!" There were cheers, and Will felt warm inside. "Guys, this is Will Solace. He's seven, and he only just arrived at camp, so explain things to him as they happen. Now, let's play a game. Everyone say their name, age, and three facts about themselves- two general facts, and one that no one in here has heard before. I'll start." Smiling, Lee continued. "My name is Lee Fletcher, I'm thirteen, and I am head counselor. That didn't count as a fact, by the way. I'm good at archery and I can play the acoustic guitar really well, but I can _only_ play the acoustic guitar. By the way, Will, I'm also head medic, so if you get hurt, make sure you come see me. Anyway, my fact that no one has heard before...hmm...I know! I _love_ wood carving."

There were exclamations of _Really?_ and _That's so cool, Lee!_

"Oh! I'll go next!" A girl of about nine with curly dark hair and grey eyes went next. "My name is Camille Byers, I'm a pianist, my favorite color is violet, and...my favorite band is Simple Plan." There were squeals of excitement as well as disbelieving snorts. Then one of the girls from the campfire began.

"I'm Abby Mccarthy, I play the violin, I'm kind of OCD, and I...I want to become a journalist."

Encouragement and support was spoken to her before Fae spoke up. "I'm Fae Harlow, I can sing in English, Italian, and Portuguese, I-" she blushed slightly here, her hazel eyes becoming more prominent even though her caramel hair had fallen into her face. "I have an anxiety disorder." She started to rush out her words. "I mean, I know everyone has anxiety, but I get it _bad_ , like I can't even order something at Starbucks because I feel like the barista will judge me, and I over think literally _everything_ , and-"

"Fae," Lee interrupted gently. "It's okay. No one here will judge you. We're a family- we love you the way you are, okay?"

A slightly teary eyed and red-faced Fae nodded, eyes shining with appreciation for Lee's words.

"Now," Lee continued. "Why don't you say your last fact?"

Fae smiled and continued. "I really like it when it snows." Nearly everyone in the cabin looked at her like she was crazy. "I know it's weird because Apollo is the _sun_ god, but there's something really romantic about snow, isn't there?"

Surprisingly, Michael was the one to smile at her. "Yeah, I guess there is, Fae. But you still won't find me outside in winter if I don't have to be. Thank goodness camp's boundaries keep rain and snow out. I guess I'll go next. I'm Michael Yew, I'm an archer, I hate people who lie, and Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite poet."

Lee looked mildly impressed. "I didn't know you liked poetry,"

"Can I go next?" Brooke asked. She had brown, chin-length hair and striking green-grey eyes. Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. Will figured she was also around nine. Without waiting for a response, Brooke said, "I'm Brooke Kimbert, I love horseback riding, I love doing charcoal drawings, and...I don't like the dark." People started murmuring sentiments, talking about how they didn't like the dark either.

A boy who looked about eight with dark skin, brown eyes, and black hair said, "I'm Alec Daltroy, I write music, I'm from Colorado, and I...guys, I want to try to learn how to fight with a sword."

Lee looked mildly surprised, but nodded thoughtfully. "I'll see if we can get one of the Ares kids or maybe even Luke to teach you."

Alec beamed, and a boy who also seemed about eight years old with violet eyes and messy mocha colored hair spoke up. "My name is Cyrus Etheridge. I write poetry," He grinned, and Will had never seen someone look more proud of themself. "Canoeing is my favorite camp activity, and...oh! Did you guys know that Elizabeth Morgan in the Aphrodite Cabin is my cousin?"

"No. Way." Brooke said, slack-jawed.

"Woah," Fae gasped, eyes wide.

"Alright, my turn!" A guy who looked like he was slightly younger than Lee- twelve, maybe?- interrupted everyone's speculations. "I'm Edmund Bickmore, I'm a strategist, I play percussion instruments, and…" He purposefully trailed off, grinning like the Chesire Cat, his silver eyes glinting through his long chestnut hair. "I just started dating Bethany Lomeli from the Athena Cabin."

"What?! Why didn't you say something?" Ally screeched, throwing a pillow at him.

Laughing, Edmund dodged it. "Relax! We only started dating a couple days ago."

After everyone had settled down, Edmund turned to him and said, "It's your turn, Will."

Suddenly nervous, Will swallowed. He didn't know what to say. But, he thought, if everyone else could tell him something about themselves, then he could tell them all something about himself. But what should he say? "Uh, I'm Will Solace, I'm from Tennessee, my mom is an alt-country singer, and...I want to be a doctor."

"Cool," Michael said, smiling at him.

"I'm sure you'll make a great doctor!" Fae said supportively.

Everyone told him similar things, until Lee shouted to get their attention. "Alright, guys! I know this has been an exciting day, but it's time to wind things down." Groans accompanied his words. "I know, I know. But Will's had an exhausting day, and it's time for him- and everyone else- to rest. Tomorrow we'll show him the ropes." Turning to Will, Lee said, "I'll have you go do something different with each person. That way not everyone will be pushing and shoving to take you to the archery range. You and I can work on a schedule in the morning. How does that sound?"

Will smiled gratefully. "That sounds great," he said, before yawning.

Lee smiled gently at him. "C'mon, let's get you to bed."

As Will lied on his bed, his thoughts drifted to his mother. He wondered what she was doing. Was she thinking of him? Will really missed her. He wished she could be here to sing him a lullaby, the way she did when he was a baby. One of his earliest memories was of her singing to him. He couldn't remember what song, but he remembered that it was comforting and soft.

Then he perked up slightly. Mama had said that she would keep in touch with him! All Will had to do was wait until she called him, or wrote him a letter. And he would be patient. He knew that she was very busy with work. Will would wait as long as it took.

And with that thought bringing a smile to his face, Will fell asleep.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, guys! It feels like it's been such a long time since I last updated, and I'm sorry for that. I hope everyone had a** **pleasant Thanksgiving. I think this chapter is a little longer than the others, so there's that. The plot advances much more in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series, or any of the characters in it. All rights go to Rick Riordan. There are a few original characters, and I have created some of the events. If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

 **Warning: Punches fly, kinda-sort of detailed description of injury (it's really not that bad, but just in case), and an allusion to mild language.**

Will had been at Camp Half-Blood for three weeks. During those weeks he had learned many things. The first of those things being that his siblings were often dramatic and loud. But that was okay. He loved them anyway, and had quickly been accepted into his new family. He had spent the afternoons of his days at camp practicing (and failing at) archery with Michael and Lee, canoeing with Cyrus, attempting to play an instrument with his sisters, and watching all of his siblings excel at the things they did. He felt a little left out, but Lee assured him that it took a while to discover your talents. He even told Will that it had taken him months to be able to heal people like he did. Will wished he could visit the infirmary, but Lee told him only Apollo campers who were at least ten were allowed to help out, or even observe, unless they were injured themselves.

Another thing Will learned was what to expect from each cabin. The Athena Cabin was, of course, the smart, innovative cabin. According to Michael, if you wanted to win Capture the Flag, you better be on the Athena Cabin's team. Malcolm Pace from the Athena Cabin tutored Will in Ancient Greek, which Will was surprised at how quickly he was able to pick it up, and mythology, which Will learned was not actual mythology because it was the truth. It was both astonishing and frightening. Will didn't particularly like Malcolm, but he had to admit that he was very smart, and he taught well, despite being about a year older than Will.

The Aphrodite Cabin was full of people who all seemed to be irresistibly attractive. One boy in particular always caught Will's eye: Kenneth Lebeau. He was two years Will's senior, and he was quite the sight to behold. Will never let it show, but he thought that Kenneth's forest green eyes and mahogany colored hair were truly beautiful. Will had never talked to Kenneth, but he talked to Silena a lot. She said she liked to check in on him, just to make sure he was doing alright. Will had certainly gotten closer to Silena since their tour of camp. Silena was a nice person to talk to. She was always willing to give advice and help people out. Her heart was kind, and she made everyone feel special.

The Ares Cabin was a force to be reckoned with. Michael had been right when he said not to pick a fight with Clarisse LaRue. Lee often stumbled into the Apollo Cabin complaining about all the injuries she had caused other campers. Some of them sounded horrifying. Will did _not_ want to get on her bad side. He had heard stories. _Terrible_ stories.

The Dionysus kids were known for their parties. Whenever someone in their cabin or a head counselor had their birthday, the Dionysus Cabin threw them a _wild_ party. Will found this out when the Demeter head counselor, a boy named Landon Mandler, was ambushed in the dining pavilion with balloons and confetti on his birthday. Will had never met people more excitable than the Dionysus Cabin.

Children of Hephaestus were, Will found, extremely touchy about their inventions. Brooke had been examining a shield Jake Mason, who was Will's age, had made. Jake didn't take his eyes off of her as she looked at it, seemingly convinced that if he looked away, the shield would break.

Hermes was, in every sense of the word, a trickster. And that quality was passed down to every one of his kids. Connor and Travis Stoll terrorized the camp every week, each prank more chaotic and panic-inspiring than the last. It was a rare day that Will didn't see someone with neon orange hair or confetti splattered camp t-shirts. As Michael had promised, Connor and Travis stayed far away from the Apollo Cabin. Michael said it had something to do with rhyming couplets.

The Demeter kids were a gentle bunch, but when it came to the environment, they could be downright _scary_. Will witnessed a few Demeter girls yell at a few Hermes kids for littering, and...well, let's just say Will made sure all of his trash ended up in the trashcan, _and_ that he recycled anything that could be recycled.

Will liked to spend time waving to the naiads and talking to the satyrs and nymphs. They were very interesting, and they always had time to talk to him. He felt very accepted among them. They didn't judge him or talk to him like he was inferior to them. In fact, they always seemed pleased when he visited.

Will was sitting on the docks waving to the naiads when he heard someone call his name.

"Will?"

Will turned around and saw Henry standing behind him. Excitement filled him. He hadn't seen much of Henry since he got to camp. It was nice to see such a familiar face again. He stood up and walked over to the satyr. "Hey, Henry!"

Henry gave him a small smile. "Come with me, Will. Your mother's on the phone with Chiron. She wants to talk to you."

Will's heart soared. He knew his mother would call him! He couldn't wait to tell her all about what happened at camp, about his siblings, and about his dad.

As Henry led him toward the Big House, he said, "You're allowed to tell her about camp, Will, but only because she already knows Apollo is a god."

That stopped Will in his tracks. What? "She knew?" he asked incredulously.

Henry nodded, keeping his pace, so that Will had to scramble to keep up. "Yeah. I know it seems cruel to keep something like that from you, but it was for your safety. If you had known you were a demigod sooner than you did, your scent would have been stronger and more monsters would have been able to track you down."

The thought of monsters attacking him brought a memory to the front of Will's mind. "Henry," he began. "What did that anemoi mean when it said…" Will gulped. "When it said that I would be a burden? That I...that I wasn't worth saving?" Will's voice broke on the last statement.

Henry took a while to respond. When he did, he didn't look at Will. "I don't know why it said that. But you have to remember, Will, that monsters will say anything to try to lower your guard. Don't take what one monster said to heart. Besides, _everyone_ is worth saving. _That_ you can take to heart."

Will did take it to heart. But he also subconsciously took what the anemoi said to heart.

They arrived at the Big House. "Chiron is just inside," Henry told him. Will climbed the steps to the porch and walked through the front door, eager to hear from his mother.

Chiron was waiting for him in one of the upstairs rooms. Chiron was, Will had found out his first week, a centaur. The bottom half of his body was that of a white stallion, and the upper half resembled a college professor. Chiron was wiser than anyone Will had ever met, and he supposed that that was because of how long he had lived, but if his lessons with Malcolm had taught him anything, it was that the gods were _not_ wise, and they had lived for thousands of years, too. Chiron had a kind glint in his brown eyes, and that softened his intimidating appearance. He had strong arms from centuries of being an archer. He had a brown beard and brown hair that was neatly trimmed. Chiron was a very kind and overall amazing teacher.

"Hello, Will," He greeted, wheeling over to Will. Pointing at a desktop computer at the far end of the room, he said, "Your mother is on the other end. Just press the call button, and she'll pick it up."

Will grinned. "Thanks, Chiron!" As the centaur left, Will sat down at the computer. Excitement filling his very being, he pressed the green call button on the screen. After a few rings, his mama's face appeared on the screen.

"Mama!" He beamed at her image.

"Will!" His mother's smile seemed a little...off. Her eyes were unfocused and she kept giggling.

Shaking off his misgivings, Will told her, "I miss you! Guess what? I have brothers and sisters! There's a lava wall, a pegasus stable, a lake, and-"

"Naomi!" A voice from his mother's side of the connection called out. "Naomi, come and get another shot!"

Will frowned. Was Mama sick? Why did she need a shot?

Naomi Solace giggled. "I've gotta go, Will," she slurred. Then she yelled over her shoulder, "I'm coming, Dillon!" And before Will could say anything, the screen went black.

Will's heart sank like a stone. He had been waiting for a chance to make this call for _weeks_. His mother hadn't told him anything about how she was doing, she didn't ask him how he was, she didn't even say that she missed him or that she loved him before she left. With regret Will realised he hadn't been able to tell her that he loved her, either.

Will got out of the chair and opened the door to the room. He walked down the old stairs slowly, purposefully avoiding coming into any contact with Chiron. He didn't really want to answer why his conversation with his mama had ended so quickly. Walking across the grass toward the Apollo Cabin, he ran into Charles Beckendorf.

"Hi, Will," Beckendorf greeted him.

"Hey, Beckendorf," he muttered sullenly.

The blacksmith frowned. Kneeling in front of Will so that he was forced to stop, he asked, "What's wrong? I thought you were calling you mom in the Big House."

"I was," Will told him miserably. "But someone named Dillon told her to get another shot, and she told me that she had to go. We'd only been talking for a few seconds before she hung up. She didn't even tell me she was sick!"

Beckendorf seemed to be thinking about something. Slowly, he asked Will, "Was your mom acting strange during the video call?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, she kept giggling and smiling, but her eyes were kinda unfocused. Why? Do you know what kind of sickness she had?"

"Yeah, I do," Beckendorf said, his eyes dark. "She was _drunk_."

Will blinked. "What's that mean?"

Beckendorf seemed uncharacteristically angry. "It means she consumed so much alcohol that she couldn't think straight, or function properly." Seeming to reach a decision, Beckendorf told Will, "Go tell Lee she was drunk. He might have more information for you." Then he started to walk back to his cabin, muttering things like _Drunk while she video calls her seven-year-old child_ and _Probably not even fit to be a mom, drinking with a guy so soon after her only child left._

Will walked off to do just that. He found Lee polishing his longbow in the archery range. Lee smiled when he saw Will coming toward him. "Hey, Will. What's up?"

Will recounted what had happened with his mother, and then told him what Beckendorf had said. Lee's mouth was pressed into a thin line when Will was finished speaking. "Will…" Lee trailed off. Then his brother took a deep breath and continued. "Your mom wasn't sick. That Dillon guy wasn't talking about a vaccine shot. He was talking about an alcohol shot. Y'know- wine, beer, that kind of thing. Will...your mom is pretty famous in country music, and when people get famous, they tend to make bad decisions. I think your mom took your leaving as an opportunity to...be free. Not from you," Lee added quickly. "Just from responsibility. It doesn't make her any less of a good person as long as it doesn't become a problem. Beckendorf has a cousin on his mom's side who had a drinking problem- that's probably why he's so upset about this. A few drinks aren't going to do a person too much harm, as long as someone who hasn't had _anything_ to drink is with them. Even if they've only had one shot, it's no longer safe. I'm sure your mom knows that, though."

Will was still feeling a little uneasy about the whole situation, but he decided that Lee was probably right. "Okay,"

Lee stood up and stretched. He walked over to a shed and put his longbow away. Will waited for him to reach him, and when he did, they both headed back to the Apollo Cabin together.

* * *

"Wait, you want me to do _what_?" Michael asked, disbelieving.

Will's first Capture the Flag game was about to start. On the Blue Team was Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. On the Red Team was Athena, Ares, Dionysus, and Demeter. Lee, although a strategist, was sitting this game out so he could act as medic. He was currently instructing his cabin and telling them their roles in the game. The plan was to spread out defenses in multiple circles around the flag. The smallest circle would be right around the flag, and the next tightest one would be roughly fifty yards away, and so on. Lee told Fae, Cyrus, and Alec that they were to work with the Aphrodite Cabin and some of the Hermes kids on defense along the outermost ring. If the other team managed to get past them (which they probably would, Lee told them), then they would run into traps set by the Hephaestus Cabin next. If they managed to get past those, they would run into another ring of defense, this one including Brooke, Edmund, Beckendorf, Jake Mason, some other Hephaestus kids, and Connor and Travis Stoll. Lee said that they would have a much harder time getting through that line. And if they did, another system of traps was waiting for them. After that system, there was one last system of traps, this one the hardest to get past. Then, there was the last ring of defense. In this ring was Luke, Camille, Ally, and the rest of the Hermes kids. For some reason that was inconceivable to Will, Lee wanted him and Michael to sneak into enemy territory and get their flag. Michael in particular couldn't believe that part of the plan.

"No way," he told Lee. "Put me and Will in Luke's place and have him go off and steal the flag! Will and I won't make it in enemy territory alone. Especially Will. He's only seven!"

"And you're 'only ten,'" Lee told him, putting air quotes around the last two words. "But you've gained enough experience to make yourself a valuable ally. Will is fast. He can race back across the border in no time, and his age will make people underestimate him. He can slip past people- he can be the key to winning this. You just have to find the flag and get him in a position where he has some kind of head start. Defend him while he runs. Besides, we have a backup plan. If you guys aren't back by the time we've captured all the opposing campers, we'll send Luke, Beckendorf, and the Stolls to help you out. We literally _cannot lose_. We really outdid ourselves this time." Lee grinned, obviously pleased with his plan.

Michael stared at his brother for a few moments before finally giving in. "If we lose, you're excusing me and Will from kitchen and bathroom duties. _And_ the pegasus stables."

"Done," Lee agreed, demonstrating just how confident he was that the Blue Team would win this.

Looking like he deeply regretted it, Michael turned to Will. "Alright, bro, let's go. We have a flag to find."

* * *

"I feel like we've been going in circles," Will whispered to Michael. "Are you sure you know how to navigate this forest?"

"No," Michael admitted. "But every road leads to where you're going, right?"

"I hope so," Will muttered.

They kept walking, taking care not to step on too many leaves or twigs. Then, through the green foliage, Will saw a flash of red. He stopped abruptly and grabbed Michael's sleeve. "There!" he hissed.

Michael followed his gaze, clenching his jaw when he saw the flag. "We need to get just a little bit closer," he said. "But we can't let the enemy see us." Michael's eyes scanned their surroundings. Finally, Michael whispered to Will, "The trees. I'm going to climb one and start shooting arrows into the defensive line. When I signal to you, run and climb that rock, grab the flag and run back across the border. Do you remember which way it is?" Will shook his head. Michael continued. "It's that way," he pointed to his left. "Just keep running that way and you'll get there. Hopefully everyone else is holding up. I'll try to run after you, but I'll probably be captured. Just remember: No matter what happens, keep running. Got it, Will?"

Will nodded, his jaw clenched in determination. "I'm ready,"

Michael smiled and ruffled his hair. "You got this, bro." And with that he started scaling the tree nearest to them. Will crouched down, ready to sprint at a moment's notice. Michael perched himself in one of the branches that was shrouded from the opposite team's viewpoint. Then Michael shot a sonic arrow. A horrible screeching sound filled the air, and when the arrow landed, it emitted a sound wave that knocked several of the enemy off their feet. Lee had told Will about sonic arrows before. They could kill less powerful monsters instantly, but they only stunned more powerful monsters and demigods. And stunned they were. Everyone lay blinking, disoriented, on the forest floor. Will didn't even need a signal; he ran into the opposing team's base, easily climbed the small rock mound, grabbed the red flag, jumped off the rocks, and took off sprinting toward Blue Team territory. He could hear Michael shouting encouragement behind him, and also shouts of indignation when the Red Team realized they were no longer guarding a flag. Will ran faster than he ever had in his life, adrenaline giving him enough energy to keep going. The sound of arrows zipping through the air was fading as Will got farther away. To make sure he was going in the right direction, Will fixed his eyes on a certain landmark as he ran, not taking his eyes off of it until he reached it. When he did reach it, he looked directly in front of him again, found another landmark, and repeated the process. Soon he saw the creek, his destination on the other side. Gripping the flag tighter, Will pushed himself to go even faster. Then he saw a few Ares and Athena campers, ready to take the flag from him.

Will was running straight towards them. He was _so close_ to victory, and now he wouldn't get it.

Then he saw familiar faces on the other side of the creek. Beckendorf, Luke, Connor, and Travis had come to the rescue. They quickly assessed the situation and charged right in. The Stoll brothers had some crazy contraption with them that tangled the enemy's swords, rendering them useless. Beckendorf was fighting with a sword and shield that were both created by him, making them extra durable and resilient. Luke, of course, was a whirlwind. He slashed down the Red Team before they could even begin to defend themselves. The way Luke Castellan fought seemed almost feral, but it was also awing. But Will couldn't stand and watch. He wove between swords and spears until he finally made it to the bank of the creek. He splashed across to the other side, holding up the flag triumphantly.

"WOOHOO!" Travis yelled.

"IN YOUR FACES!" Connor called to the Ares campers, which was probably not the best of ideas.

Lee ran onto the battlefield. "Will, you did it!" Lee grabbed Will around the knees and hoisted him onto his shoulder. Michael ran over to them and started cheering. Soon the entire Blue Team was surrounding them, cheering for Will, Michael, and Lee, and Will swore it was the best day of his life. Everything in that moment felt so right; Michael Yew and Lee Fletcher were the best thing that had ever happened to him.

* * *

Months had passed since Will's first Capture the Flag game. He, Lee, and Michael had become an inseparable trio. They did everything together- archery (which Will was horrible at), campfires (Will and Michael sang, but they sounded _awful_ ), canoeing (Will left Michael and Lee in the dust during races), climbing the lava wall (Michael seriously had a gift), and running along the beach. Life was better than it had ever been for Will. Sure, he appeared to have no talent for archery, his voice and skill for instruments could be improved, and he certainly couldn't recite Shakespeare. But he could do an excellent ultrasonic whistle, and he could curse people to speak only in rhyming couplets (discovering that one hadn't been pretty. Drew Tanaka now despised him. His siblings, however, thought it was the best thing since Adele's latest album). Will often felt like he was useless, but his siblings all made it clear that they loved him for who he was, and no ability or lack thereof would change that. They were the family Will had always craved.

The family he had known wasn't nearly as good as the one he had at Camp Half-Blood. Naomi Solace had always been busy as an alt-country singer, and spending time with her son never really made her priority list. Will had always been lonely in Tennessee. Even Will had to admit that his mother wasn't the nicest person, but she was his mother, and he wanted to make her proud any way that he could. Will had thought that by proving he was a good demigod, his mother would finally see his worth. He couldn't wait for Christmas to roll around so that he could see her again.

Will was walking along the fireworks beach when Andrew Jenkins and his cronies approached him. Andrew was Will's age, and he was known for being a jerk around camp. Andrew had stringy black hair, dull blue eyes, and a tall, broad stature.

"Well, if it isn't the newest Apollo spawn," Andrew sneered, blocking Will's path. "You know, you really shouldn't be in the Apollo Cabin. That's a place for archers and musicians. Compared to your siblings, Solace, you're pretty useless. Why don't you join a useless cabin, too? Maybe the Aphrodite Cabin?"

Will had dealt with bullies in Tennessee, and he was so far unimpressed with Andrew. Sure, what he said hurt, but Will could shake that stuff off fairly easily. Besides, it was obvious Andrew just wanted a reaction out of him. "Uh, would you like to tell Silena that the Aphrodite Cabin is useless? Because I think she'd be able to prove you wrong easily."

Andrew's face scrunched up into a scowl. "This isn't about the Aphrodite Cabin, you worthless wretch. What we want to know is why you're a demigod. You can't do anything. At all. You can't fight with _any_ weapon, sing, play any instrument, and you don't have any demigod powers. You're completely, utterly worthless. Why are you a demigod, freak?"

Okay, that stung. The words ripped through Will's heart, tearing into his feeling of self-worth and leaving it scarred. "My father is Apollo," Will managed to keep his eyes from watering. "That makes me a demigod. Your father is Ares; that makes you a demigod. There's nothing else to it. You don't need powers or special talents to be a demigod. One of your parents just has to be a god."

"To be a demigod worth saving you do," Andrew shot at him.

 _He's not worth saving_. The anemoi's words came back to him. Then he thought of what Luke had said: _Everyone is worth saving_.

From that moment on, that became Will's mantra. He never let himself forget those words. He repeated them out loud to Andrew, "Everyone is worth saving,"

Andrew snorted. "That's not true. Why save someone who only ever puts other people in danger? That's what bad fighters do. They go on the battlefield and try to fight, but end up putting other people in danger because they have to be saved. You'll end up getting someone killed, ba-"

"Hey!"

Will turned to see Michael, standing just a few feet away, an outraged expression on his face. "Who in Hades do you think you are?" he demanded.

Andrew blinked. "I'm just saying what everyone is thinking-"

"No, you're not!" Michael nearly exploded. "I'm not thinking that, and I can name twenty people off the top of my head that don't think that. Don't say you speak for the people when you don't know what the people think. Now get out of here and leave my brother alone."

Andrew opened his mouth to argue, but instead closed it, clenched his fist, and punched Will in the nose.

Pain exploded across Will's face. Through it he managed to think, _Wow, the nose really is the most painful bone to break. All those nerves_. He opened his eyes to see Michael had pinned Andrew to the ground and had landed a punch of his own. Luckily for Andrew, his nose wasn't broken. But he did have a black eye.

Michael leered down at Andrew. "Shut up. You're the one who will get someone else killed, trying to make them feel worthless and unwanted."

"He is unwanted! I don't want some dumb, incapable demigod with a stupid southern accent to be anywhere near me!" It was a low blow, but it hurt nonetheless.

"Then don't go near him!" Michael roared. He got off of Andrew, kicked sand at him, and then turned to Will. "C'mon, bro. Let's get you to the infirmary."

Will followed behind Michael, clutching his bleeding nose. Michael pushed open the door to the infirmary and shouted, "Hey, Lee!"

Lee appeared quickly from among the supply closets along the back wall. "What do you want, Michael? I'm working!" Then he saw Will from behind Michael, blood dripping down his face, and rushed over to them. "Oh my gods, Will, what happened?!" Without waiting for a response, Lee lifted him up and carried him to a bed. He set Will down gently and then examined his nose. "How much does it hurt?" Lee asked.

Will raised an eyebrow at him. "A lot. Your nose is the most painful bone in your body to break because of all the nerves."

Lee looked impressed. "So you know you broke it?"

"Well, yeah," Will said. "The break is right here." He grabbed Lee's hand and lifted it to where the bone had snapped.

"He's right," Lee said to Michael. "It's definitely broken, and that's where the break is. How'd you know where it was?" Lee asked Will.

Why was Lee asking him all these dumb questions? "Because when I ran my fingers over my nose, that's where the bump was, and when I touched it, the pain intensified. I knew that it wasn't just a bump because I heard it crack when Andrew punched me."

"Andrew punched you? Why?" Lee demanded.

At the same time, Michael laughed. "You sound like a doctor. You can tell Andrew that your father is the god of medicine and you're going to be a medic."

"Woah, woah," Lee said. "Despite Will's obvious knowledge for it, he can't be a medic yet. He's too young. There are rules, you know."

A scream sounded from outside. Shoving a piece of ambrosia into Will's hands, Lee yelled, "Eat it!" before rushing off to find out what had happened.

Will popped the ambrosia into his mouth. Immediately, the taste of blackberry cobbler flooded his tongue. While he relished the taste of his favorite dessert, Will felt the bone mend itself. It was a very odd sensation- his nose felt warm, but it also kind of itched. He rubbed his nose once the warm feeling died away. He felt no pain, but it still felt a little sore. He looked at the entrance of the infirmary, and just as he did, Luke and Silena came inside, supporting an unconscious Malcolm Pace between them. Lee was close behind them, yelling at some of the volunteers in the infirmary to get a bed for the son of Athena. Annabeth Chase, Clarisse LaRue, Jake Mason, and some of the other Athena campers ran in after Lee.

Will watched as Malcolm was placed on a gurney. "Get me nectar," Lee instructed. Someone ran to fetch it for him. When they returned, Lee took the nectar from them and poured some into Malcolm's mouth. It didn't do much for him. He was a sickly pale color, and there were several deep gashes along his chest, arms, and legs. Scratches lined his face. But the thing that called the most attention to itself was the long spike protruding from his left shoulder. The skin around it was grey, and green liquid could be seen seeping into his veins. All the nectar did was heal the scratches and stop some of the blood from flowing from the wounds on the rest of his body. He was still bleeding, just not as heavily.

"What happened to Malcolm?" Annabeth asked, her bottom lip quivering slightly. Her grey eyes were wide with shock and worry. Will would be worried, too, if it had been his brother. Heck, he was worried right now, and he didn't even like Malcolm all that much.

Luke answered her. "A manticore and a hellhound were trying to get into camp. Malcolm went outside the border and tried to fight them off. If Silena and I hadn't shown up, he would have been killed."

Lee looked furious. "Where's Lila? She's the head counselor. She should be watching her siblings."

Annabeth piped up. "Chiron wanted to talk with her. Lila said she might not be back until dinner. They left camp so they could investigate something."

Lee grunted, refocusing on Malcolm. "Silena, I need bandages."

She nodded, her dark hair bouncing. "On it."

Lee looked at the spike. "I can't believe he thought he could fight a _manticore_. There's no cure for manticore poison, and if I give him anymore nectar, he could burn up!" Lee's voice took on a tone of frustration. "The only way to save him is to draw the poison out of his system, and I don't have a way to do that."

Michael, who had been standing by Will observing the scene, spoke up. "Lee. I think you might have a way to do that. Or rather, I think Will might."

Lee's head snapped up. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

Michael nodded. "There's no harm in trying."

Lee nodded slowly. "Fair point. Will, come here."

Will got off the bed and hurried over to Lee. Malcolm was steadily losing blood, and with manticore poison in his veins, he wouldn't last long. His face was already looking ashen, and his breaths were getting more laborious by the minute.

Lee grabbed Will's hands. "Will, I don't have much time to explain, but some children of Apollo can heal just about any injury. It's rare, and developing the gift takes a lot of work, but if there's a chance you have it, you might be able to save Malcolm's life. I don't have the gift, and no one else in the cabin does, but I've heard stories about it. Chiron knows of past children of Apollo who have been able to do it. Just...I don't know. Try to heal him. Imagine it happening."

Strangely enough, Will didn't feel panicked at all. His brother had just told him that he might be the only thing standing between a kid and death, but all Will felt was a strange calmness. Malcolm was dying, Will could tell. But he had more time than it looked like. He had maybe thirty minutes left if he wasn't treated, forty-five at most. But Will knew that Malcolm wasn't going to die. Not today. He had Will to treat him.

Confidently, Will looked at Luke. "Carefully, get a firm hold on the spike and pull it out of his shoulder. I can't do anything if it's still leaking poison into his veins."

Luke looked momentarily surprised, but he did as Will had instructed. Malcolm jerked a little on the gurney from the force, but he didn't cry out or scream. That wasn't necessarily a good sign. Will placed his hands over the puncture hole where the manticore spike had been. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Will felt some of his own health and strength leave him and enter Malcolm, flooding through the son of Athena's system, diluting the poison until it wasn't even there anymore. Washing it away, he supposed. Will heard gasps of surprise around him, but he didn't let it distract him. Malcolm was his patient, and patients came first.

Finally, Will opened his eyes and nearly gasped, too. Light was coming from his hands, flowing to Malcolm's wounds and healing them. Will removed his hands from Malcolm and took a staggering step backwards. He nearly fell down, but Luke and Lee both rushed forward to catch him. They helped Will sit down in a chair, and as they did that, Malcolm opened his eyes.

Groaning, the son of Athena sat up. "What happened? Did I kill the manticore and the hellhound?"

Lee entered what his siblings liked to call 'big brother mode.' His eye twitched as he looked at Malcolm. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" he demanded. "You nearly died! What were you thinking, charging in there _alone_ and trying to kill two powerful monsters? If Will hadn't healed you, you'd be dead right now!"

"Wait," Malcolm said. " _Will_ healed me? But he's not even a medic!"

"He is now," Lee said. "That is, if he wants to be." Lee looked at Will. "What do you say, Will? Want to help me out in the infirmary from now on?"

Will smiled at his brother, exhausted and excited at the same time. "Could I really? I thought you said I was too young,"

Lee looked thoughtful. "I did, but I think we can bend the rules in this instance. This is your power, Will. I've gotta teach you all I know about healing and we need to work together to figure out how to develop this. You're obviously exhausted- we don't want you to try and heal someone, only to find out that you've gone over your limit. So, honestly, I think working in the infirmary is in your best interest. I'll talk to Chiron about it when he comes back." Lee smiled and ruffled Will's hair. "You're going places, kid."

 **A/N: Aaaaand that's chapter three! I hope you guys enjoyed. I'd like to thank everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed- it means the world to me. Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry it's been a while since the last update. Hopefully this will be to your satisfaction. Good news: Since Christmas Break is coming up, I'll be able to write a lot more. I'm aiming to update at least three times between now and the end of the year at the bare minimum. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and anything else that you celebrate.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

 **Warning: Description of wounds- though not that graphic. Minor character death.**

Will woke up bright and early the next day, as always. He remembered what was going to happen today and smiled. Today he was going to help Lee in the infirmary.

Will was so excited. To be completely honest, he was relieved that he had this power. What Andrew had said yesterday had really affected Will. He knew he shouldn't take any of it to heart, but all of those things had already been racing through Will's mind. To have someone who practically a stranger to him voice them...Well, it severely injured what self-esteem he did have. Even the jibe about his accent wouldn't leave his head. So now that he had a real Apollo ability, Will felt like he actually deserved to be a camper at Camp Half-Blood.

Eager to start the day, he jumped out of bed, careful not to wake his siblings, and got dressed as quickly as he could. He was finishing tying his shoes when Lee woke up. When he saw Will, he blinked groggily and reluctantly rolled out of bed. "I can't believe you get up so early. Aren't kids supposed to sleep in?"

Will laughed at his brother. "C'mon, Lee, you said you'd help me out today."

That seemed to wake his brother up a bit. "I did, didn't I? Hades, I still can't believe you can do that. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder what else you can do. Well, we won't know until we find out, will-" Lee stopped and stared at one of the bunks. "Where's Alec?" he asked slowly.

Confused, Will looked around and saw that Alec was, indeed, not in his bed. Both of the doors to the bathroom were wide open, and Alec never got up before 7:00 a.m. anyway.

Lee looked very worried. "We need to wake everyone up," he murmured. Louder he said, "Will, help me wake everyone up."

"How?" Will asked. "They all sleep like the dead until about six thirty."

Lee seemed frantic. "I don't know! Shake them, whistle, pour water on them for all I care. Just help me wake everyone up!"

Shrugging, Will put two fingers to his mouth and whistled. Immediately, everyone woke up.

"I'm up!" Michael yelled, sitting bolt upright.

A couple people yelped, and everyone was looking around in confusion. Lee had jumped with surprise, and stared at Will.

"What?" Will asked.

Lee blinked, shaking his head. "Will, that's another ability you have. Ultrasonic whistling. That can come in handy. Be careful where you use it though- depending on the intensity, it can stun people."

Will's eyes were wide. "Oh. Sorry."

Lee laughed. "Don't worry about it. It was effective, wasn't it?"

Michael grumbled. "What did you wake us up for, anyway?"

Everyone turned to look at Lee, waiting expectantly.

Lee's face clouded over again. "Alec. He's missing."

Confused glances were thrown around the room. Everyone started talking to each other, recalling when they had seen their brother last and where. The last time Will had seen Alec was when they were about to shut out the lights in the Apollo Cabin. Alec had been talking to Edmund about his sword fighting lessons with Luke Castellan. Will hadn't seen him since, but where was there to go? Everyone was about to go to sleep. Alec wouldn't have wandered out of the cabin, surely. Besides, what could possibly be out there to see late at night?

"Alright; listen up!" Lee yelled over everyone. "We're going to do this in pairs. Cyrus and Camille, go down to the lake and firework beach. Edmund and Michael, go to the border. If he's not there, then check the forest. Abby, Brooke, and Fae, ask around to see if anyone in the other cabins has seen him. If they haven't check the archery range. Will and I will check the infirmary, the sword fighting arena, and the dining pavilion. No matter what happens, _do not split up_. If something happens, scream. Run. Get help. _Do not_ try to fight anything or anyone. That's how Malcolm almost died. Now, go!"

The children of Apollo all ran off. They went throughout the camp, calling Alec's name. The lights inside of several cabins turned on, so Ally, Fae, and Brooke wouldn't have too much trouble.

"Lee," Will managed to say as he ran after his brother. "What do you think happened?"

Lee Fletcher's face was grim. "I don't know, Will. But I don't think that this is something insignificant. Alec wouldn't just run off in the middle of the night, not without good reason. You and I both know that."

They arrived at the infirmary. The door was locked, but, as head medic, Lee had the keys, and he opened it. As Will and Lee had both suspected, the infirmary was empty.

"Let's check the dining pavilion next," Will suggested. Lee nodded, and they left the infirmary.

Lee was just about to lock the door when a shout sounded from the direction of the camp border. Lee and Will whipped around to see a frantic Michael and terrified Edmund running toward them, dragging Alec between them, limp as a rag doll.

" _Lee_!" Michael screamed. "Lee!"

Will didn't need any instruction; it was like his body went into auto mode. He pushed open the door to the infirmary. Racing inside, he grabbed the nearest bed and pulled it fairly close to the door so his brothers didn't have to carry Alec too far. Will's brothers brought Alec in just as Will was grabbing ambrosia and nectar. Will shot glances at his brother, assessing his condition.

Alec was, frankly, a mess. Deep gashes ran up and down his dark skin- across his face and chest, and along his arms and legs. It looked like the hellhound claw marks on Malcolm, but longer and deeper.

There were two factors that _really_ scared Will. Yes, he was seven, but he had never been one to get freaked out from someone's wounds, even at Camp Half-Blood. One factor was more fear for Alec, and that was this: They had no idea how long he had been lying near the border of Camp Half-Blood, which meant he could have been bleeding out for a long time now. And, sure enough, Alec's breathing was very labored. He had been unconscious and bleeding for a while. The second factor was probably the most concerning. Not just for Alec, but for what it could mean for the camp. The lacerations were made with precision. This wasn't random mauling from a hellhound. Whatever monster did this, they knew exactly where to cut Alec to ensure he would die, but that it would be slow. And painful. That meant that this monster was intelligent. Will knew that an intelligent enemy was far more dangerous than a merely violent one. An intelligent enemy made a plan- a plan that would _work_ \- and they executed it. More often than not, they succeeded. This was some monster's (in every sense of the word) plan. Someone used his brother as an expendable pawn. And to Will, that was unforgivable.

Time was of the essence. Will's mind, naturally sharp and critical, immediately saw the inflictions that needed attention first. "Michael," he ordered calmly but sternly, "Get me lots of nectar."

Michael looked surprised for a second, probably because his seven-year-old brother was acting as a doctor and ordering him around, but then he quickly ran off to do as instructed.

"Edmund, go get Chiron. Lee, gauze. Bandages. And I'm going to need surgical thread and a needle." Will's voice was grim, and his brother knew that that meant there was no room for questioning. Lee ran off, and Will turned back to his patient.

Michael returned with nectar, and Lee followed him with everything else soon after.

Michael hovered at Will's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do to help you guys?"

"Yes," Lee said. "Don't let anyone else but Chiron into the infirmary."

Michael ran outside to perform this task. Will and Lee started binding Alec's chest with bandages, doing their best to stop the blood flow. Will poured nectar into his mouth, being careful not to give him to much. All it did was ease up the bleeding, which was a good thing, but it might not be enough. Will worked furiously, stitching up the shallowest of the wounds. He would save his powers for the deepest ones.

When he didn't think he could do anything else, he placed his hands once again on Alec's chest, ready to heal him as best he could when he didn't have full control over his powers. But before he could channel his powers, a hand lightly touched his wrist. Will turned his head quickly, shocked to see a barely conscious Alec looking at him. "No," Alec gasped. "Too much...blood. Monster...smart,"

Lee quickly took advantage of Alec's consciousness. "What monster was it, Alec? What happened?"

Alec was struggling to speak. "Heard a sound. Went to- to investigate. Don't know what it was. teeth. It- it hurt. Lee, it hurts." Tears were streaming down Alec's face.

Lee put a comforting hand on his little brother's forehead. "Shhh. It'll be okay, Alec," he whispered. "Will is going to heal you. He has special healing powers; did I tell you? He'll fix you up. You'll be sword fighting again in no ti-"

"No," Alec said again. "M-my time. Fates...my string. Tell Chiron- tell Chiron… golden apples." Alec started gasping. "I… love… you guys. My- my siblings. Best thing… ever happened to me."

And before either Will or Lee could react, Alec Daltroy became limp, his eyes looked at something far away, and he released his last breath.

* * *

The days following Alec's death went by without Will noticing. He didn't understand it. Why didn't Alec let him heal him? What had attacked his brother? Why did Alec go off alone? Why did he have to die? But most of all, he wondered why he hadn't been able to save Alec. Why he hadn't been able to heal him.

The camp was in upheaval. The younger campers were terrified now that they were going to be killed by monsters in their beds. The older campers were training more vigorously, getting ready to defend their family and friends. The Apollo Cabin was mourning. Everyone had cried. Chiron had arrived at the infirmary right after Alec had died. Lee numbly updated the centaur on the events of the past evening, and then Chiron had instructed them both to return to their cabin and to get whatever rest they could. Their siblings were all there waiting for them. Will would never forget the quiver in Fae's voice as she asked:

"Where's Alec?"

Nor would he ever forget it when Lee had sadly shook his head and said, "He's gone,"

Fae and Camille had started sobbing. Abby ran over to Cyrus and hugged him tightly, both of them squeezing their eyes shut tightly. Brooke stood there in shock, tears streaming down her face silently. Edmund was also quietly crying. He punched the wall a couple times, nearly breaking his hand, before collapsing on the ground and shaking with silent sobs.

Lee and Michael didn't cry. They teared up, but they didn't cry. Neither did Will. He was still in too much shock. But that night, as he himself lay sobbing into his pillow, trying to muffle his screams of despair, he heard Lee and Michael doing the same. Michael was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, gasping and choking on his tears. Lee was facing the wall, but Will could still see the outline of his shoulders, and they were shaking violently.

Will had had his first encounter with death that day. That was a hard experience for anyone to go through, but for it to be your own brother who departed, that was soul-shattering. Will felt partially should have just healed Alec, despite the demigod's insistence. Why would he want to die? The truth of the matter was, he didn't. Alec told Lee he was scared, but he still didn't want to be saved. It didn't make any sense. It wasn't fair. _Death_ wasn't fair. Besides, why did some immortal hags get to decide when someone died, whether they be eighty years or three months old? And if their parents were gods, then why didn't they step in to save their children? Will thought that parents were supposed to love their children unconditionally.

Not that he had any real knowledge about what parents were supposed to be like. Back in Tennessee, Will had been able to mark his mother's apparent lack of interest and love to her being busy with work. But now that he was at Camp Half-Blood where he had people who really _did_ love him, and who made time for him no matter what their lives were like, he knew that he simply had never been loved by Naomi like others were loved by their parents. This truth left a gaping hole in Will's chest. He wanted it to be filled so desperately, but he had no means by which to do so. Lee did his best to make up for the absence of a father in his siblings lives, but no matter how amazing a brother he was, he could never be the father they were all missing. Some of Will's siblings were able to turn to their mothers. Will couldn't even do that. Sure, he and Naomi wrote to each other occasionally, but Naomi's letters were always short and concise. Still, Will lived for every one of them.

Will was sitting on the edge of the docks, smiling at the naiads, when he heard Silena's voice from behind him.

"You know, you really _shouldn't_ encourage them. You'll have enough people hanging over you as it is." The daughter of Aphrodite came over to sit down next to him.

Will moved over to make more room for her. "What do you mean?"

She laughed her beautiful soft laugh. "You'll see, Will. You're a handsome kid now; I can't wait to see you a few years from now."

Because she had paid him a compliment, he thought it was only right to pay her one back. "Y'know, you're pretty, Silena."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Will." She looked out over the water and said, "It sounds very genuine when you say it. You're not trying to get anything out of me, and you're not saying it because you have some kind of ulterior motive. You say what you mean- it's quite refreshing, actually." She put a comforting arm around his shoulder. After a few minutes of silence, she asked, "How are you holding up? It's always hard, losing a sibling. And Alec's death was… well, I heard it wasn't the kindest."

Will shook his head. "It scared me," he admitted. "Whatever did that… it wanted him to feel pain. It wanted to ensure he died, but it wanted us to find him alive first." He started to hyperventilate slightly. "What if it comes back and attacks someone else? What if it kills us all off, one by one by-"

"Will." Silena interrupted. "I don't know what will happen in the future. I don't know what killed Alec. But what I do know is that we're all demigods. The odds have always been against us, and we have prevailed in the past, and we will do so again. We fight for each other here. We _protect_ each other. If the monster managed to get inside the camp borders- and there's only a microscopic chance that that would happen- then it would have an entire army to fight before it could kill anyone."

Despite her words, Will didn't feel much better. But he shrugged and smiled at her anyway. "Yeah, I guess what you're right,"

Silena smiled right back at him, not suspecting that he still wasn't entirely at ease. "C'mon, let's go. It's almost time for lunch."

* * *

Will's birthday, June 21, had been last week. His siblings were all so great. They had worked together to put on a special concert for him in their cabin, performing his favorite songs, and some that they had written themselves. Lee made sure that his favorite campfire songs were played at the campfire that night, too. Throughout the day, his siblings all hung out together. They all went on the climbing wall, swam in the lake, attempted sword fighting (it made them all feel a little closer to Alec, so it was something they all had come to do at least once a week without really meaning to), and they had even all helped out in the infirmary, just because Will loved being there so much.

Lee and Chiron had been helping him figure out his healing powers, and Will could finally say he understood how they worked now. It was a little frightening at first, because he was immediately able to tell what was wrong with someone. That could get overwhelming, especially when the infirmary was full of patients. He had to learn to focus on one person at a time and to block everyone else out. While he didn't always know how to fix them, he usually had a pretty good idea, and therefore had become known as a very skilled healer among the rest of camp. People had started coming to him when they got hurt, and Lee was often saying how much of a relief it was to have 'competent help in the infirmary'. The best part of it was, Will _loved_ working in the infirmary. He had never felt as complete and needed than he did when he was helping someone, and it felt great to be needed.

That was what he was doing right then. He was looking after the infirmary to give Lee a break. His brother got to do the thing he loved (archery), and Will got to do the thing he loved. Win-win situation.

He was in the supply closet at the back of the room taking stock when someone came in. He didn't hear them until they were right behind him, clearing their throat. He whipped around to see the intense grey eyes of Annabeth Chase.

Will smiled in greeting. "Hi, Annabeth."

The daughter of Athena wasted no time on introductions. "Hey. I need your help," She grit the last part out, as if it physically pained her to say the words. It didn't, Will would be able to tell if it did, so he marked it down to her pride.

"What can I do to help?" He asked.

Annabeth let out a long sigh. "You're a healer, right? And Fae in your cabin, she suffers from anxiety, right?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "Well, Monique keeps freaking out about something, and she won't tell any of us."

"So you want me to try to help her because you think she has an anxiety disorder like Fae," he finished her request for her.

Annabeth nodded stiffly. "C'mon, I'll take you."

Will followed Annabeth out of the infirmary to the Athena Cabin. Monique, a pretty ten year-old with hazel eyes and blonde hair that gently curled around her shoulders. She had a thin, frail stature and pale, freckled skin. As he got closer, Will realized her rosy cheeks were glistening from tears previously shed. Her eyes were also rimmed with red. He immediately felt a pang in his chest. Fae got like this sometimes. She looked so defeated and terrified. It always killed her siblings to see their talented sister feel so afraid of life. It was also dangerous, too, because sometimes people would tell Fae that there was no such thing as an anxiety disorder, and that everyone got anxious. That was true- everyone did get anxious sometimes. But Fae's anxiety got in the way of her doing everyday things, ordering something at a restaurant, talking to people, and even standing up to do something like go to the bathroom or get a drink when there were other people around, especially people she wasn't close to. But when people tell her that she _didn't_ have a disorder, like she was overreacting or something, she started to feel broken. Like she wasn't supposed to feel like she did, or she was missing a piece that everyone else around her had. It was really hard to see such a bright person think of themselves as dysfunctional. Whenever she got like that, Will and everyone else in the Apollo Cabin hurried to reassure her that she was perfect the way she was, and they wouldn't have her any other way.

It was quite possible Monique was feeling the same way, and it made Will want to help her any way he could. He and Annabeth finally reached the spot where Monique was. Annabeth spoke.

"Since you won't tell any of us what's wrong, I brought Will. He should be able to help. I'll be inside if you need me for anything." And she disappeared inside the Athena Cabin.

Will walked over and sat beside Monique on the porch steps. "So," he began. "Would you like to tell me what's been bothering you? Or, of it's too soon for that, we can talk about something else for a while first."

Monique didn't say anything, so Will started talking about camp. "Coming to Camp Half-Blood was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got a lot of brothers and sisters, there are lots of cool things to do and see, and I found a real purpose. Lee and Chiron have been helping me learn to use my powers. Sometimes it can get overwhelming, especially when there are lots of people in the room, but it's totally worth it. What do you like best about camp?"

After a brief pause, Monique responded softly, "I like the campfires,"

Will visibly brightened. "Oh, yeah! The campfires are the best. S'mores, sitting with your friends and family, the sing-alongs. Which song is your favorite?"

The daughter of Athena thought for a moment. "I like 'Down by the Aegean,'"

Will grinned, and immediately started belting out the lyrics. He knew he sounded horrible, but he thought it was fun, and it brought a small smile to Monique's face, so it was totally worth any embarrassment.

Her smile soon faded. "How do you do that?" she asked in a whisper.

He was slightly confused. "Do what?"

She gestured vaguely at him. "That. Do things without ever worrying about someone judging you."

He shrugged. "I guess it's just my personality," he said. "But, it's also okay not to be like that."

Monique shook her head. "No, it's not. It's shameful and embarrassing. I can't do anything without worrying what people will think of me, not even throwing something away in the dining pavilion. Every time I hear someone around me laugh, I immediately think it's about me. I just want to be normal!" She wailed. "Why can't I be like everyone else? Why can't I worry a normal amount? Instead, I have to live my life constantly afraid of _everything_."

Will pondered a moment before responding. "Monique, would you come to the infirmary with me for a minute?"

She nodded miserably. When they reached the infirmary, Will had her sit down in a chair near the back. "I'm pretty sure I know what the matter is, but just in case, I want you to fill this out. Just read the statement, then circle the number that most applies to you. One means the statement never applies to you, two means it rarely applies to you, three means it sometimes applies to you, and four if it always or almost always applies to you. It's important to answer honestly."

Glumly, Monique nodded and took the paper, clipboard, and pencil out of his hand. Will continued taking stock while she filled out the paper. He knew that some of the things on that list could cause a person anxiety just by reading and trying to answer them- like the question about suicide. It was really hard for some people- especially people with anxiety- to answer a question honestly, even if they knew it was for their own wellbeing. Sometimes, even answering it on a paper that they knew was going to be read and evaluated was difficult. On one hand, the person really wanted to stop worrying and living in fear of being judged. But on the other hand, that fear stepped in and made it hard to answer the questions honestly because they were afraid they were going to be judged for their answers. In Will's opinion, it was very important to make the environment and even the people who were going to read the results of the test seem as non-judgemental as possible. The kinder and more accepting, the better. Whatever put the person taking the anxiety test at ease.

About fifteen minutes later, Monique came up to him and handed back the clipboard. "Here," she said to him. Then she asked, "Are you going to be diagnosing me?"

Will smiled at her kindly. "I'll only look at your results if you want me to. Chiron and Lee are the people who will be looking at them for sure."

Monique seemed slightly apprehensive. "Could you look at them, too? That way all three of you can decide if I answered correctly based on what you see me do around camp."

Will had forgotten about that one. The fear of answering the questions on the test incorrectly. It was sad, because there wasn't a right or wrong way to do it. But then doubt would sink into their brains. _What if I really should have put a three instead of a two? What do I put for how often I think about suicide? It's crossed my mind, but I never thought about actually_ doing _it. Do I put a one or a two?_ He just smiled at Monique and nodded, telling her the last of what would be happening. "You'll have to talk to Chiron, Lee, or one of the other counselors at camp about the anxiety. After a meeting or two, they should be able to tell you what kind of anxiety disorder you have, if you have it, and what to do to reduce some of that feeling."

Monique nodded, took a slightly shaky breath and said, "Thank you. I don't think I'd have been able to do that if you hadn't let me take my time telling you everything."

Will's smile was comforting as he replied, "Sure, anytime." They said goodbye, and Monique left the infirmary to join her siblings at arts and crafts.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Any questions/comments are welcome and appreciated. Thanks to everyone who** **has** **read/reviewed/favorited/followed. It makes each chapter that much more enjoyable to write :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry for the delay. I'd like to start out by thanking everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed, and just read this story. You guys have no idea how much it means to me and how it makes my day. I have a few things to announce before you start reading the chapter. First, to the user who said they thought I described Monique's anxiety well, thank you! I myself suffer from an anxiety disorder, so it was nice to hear that other people think it was relatable, even if it may or may not be to the same extent. Second of all, I have a poll posted on my profile. Check that out if you get the chance! Lastly, I'd like to know what kind of story you'd like to hear next. I have lots of ideas, but I want to know what you guys would like to hear so that I can take that into consideration. So leave a review or PM me with any thoughts.**

 **This chapter has a lot of foreshadowing that you will understand if you read** ** _The Solace of the Sea_** **. It is not completely necessary, but it will help you understand future chapters.**

 **Enjoy!**

Will had stayed up late reading medical texts in the infirmary. He was so frustrated, so full of guilt, and so… scared. Whatever it was that had killed Alec had come back. All of them- _all of them_ \- hadn't let him use his powers to heal them. It made Will think that the monster killing them somehow convinced them that they wanted to accept death. Maybe it was the poison. He didn't know, and it was _killing_ him. Well, not him yet, but it was killing campers.

The attacks had become much more frequent. Will had lost four siblings to the beast. First Alec. Then sweet, gentle Camille. After her was Fae. They couldn't believe the anxious demigod had even gone off alone to fight a dangerous monster. But she did, and now she was dead. Edmund had also died at the creature's hands. When Clarisse LaRue and Cyrus found him, he was already dead, his hand still entwined with his girlfriend's, Bethany Lomeli. His body was mangled, and there were puncture wounds on his neck, which had not been on any of the others'. But Will was still sure it was the same monster because the wounds inflicted still were made with cruel precision.

The whole camp was on edge. Everyone jumped at the slightest sound, and Chiron even proposed the idea of a buddy system after a certain time of the day. But when people started getting attacked even when they were in pairs, the problem became much more complicated.

The thing that bothered Will the most, though, was the comment about the golden apples. He and Lee had mentioned it to Chiron after Alec's death, but the centaur seemed hesitant to act on it, or even tell them what it could mean. Honestly, it made Will a little angry. His brother had _died_ , and Chiron wouldn't even tell them what some of his last words meant. It was obvious they had been important to Alec. And if they were important to him, then they were important to Will. But he couldn't do anything.

He was searching through the textbooks and some ancient scripts they had in the infirmary, hoping against hope that he would come across something that would help. Was there a poison that allowed the administrator to plant thoughts in the person's brain? Or that made them _want_ to die? If the answers to that were anywhere, they were in these textbooks.

Will really liked reading medical texts. His dyslexia never acted up when he was reading them, especially if they were in Ancient Greek. But today was different. He was worried and confused, and reading about ancient medical procedures did nothing to make him feel better today.

And then there was his mother.

She and Will had started arguing over letters. That man who was in their home when Will had called her was now her boyfriend. Will could tell that his mother was often drunk. Half of the letters she wrote him didn't even make sense. He had told her that he wanted her to lay off the alcohol over another video chat about a month ago. She threw a fit. He was only trying to look out for her, because the amount of alcohol she was obviously consuming was _not_ healthy, and it wouldn't do her any good career wise either. But she had become addicted. Bottles were scattered everywhere in the room behind her, and at the mention of just easing off the drinking, not even stopping, she started screaming at him, cursing at him, and even started sobbing. His mother was a mess and needed help, but when Will told Lee about her, Lee had refused to let him go. He argued with Will about it for a long time. Michael had eventually joined Lee's side, agreeing that it was already dangerous enough inside of camp- outside would be three times worse. Lee also didn't want him left alone with a drunk parent. But it killed Will to leave his mother alone in her time of need, even though he now understood how little of a mom she had been. He had yelled at Lee and Michael. He grimaced as he remembered the incident:

 _The rest of their cabin were at the climbing wall. Will had just returned to the Apollo Cabin after the video chat with his mother. He knew those bottles were controlling her, and he knew he needed to do something. He decided to ask Lee to help him get back to Tennessee. His mother was basically sick, and she needed him to heal her._

 _When he opened the door to the cabin, Lee and Michael were standing together in the middle of the room, probably grieving the recent loss of Edmund. Will felt guilty for interrupting, but they had already seen him._

 _Smiling sadly, Lee turned to Will. "What's up, Will? How'd the video call go?"_

 _Will ignored the question. "I need to go back to Tennessee." he stated firmly._

 _Lee and Michael both looked taken aback. "Woah, woah, woah," Lee said, placing his hands in front of him, palms out, in a placating gesture. "Rewind. Why do you want to go back to Tennessee? I thought you decided to be a year-round camper."_

 _Will felt slightly impatient. "Well, yeah," he said. "But she needs me now. Lee, she's getting more and more addicted to alcohol. I need to try to ease her off it a little, just so she doesn't reach for it whenever she feels stressed or upset. And I can't do that from here."_

 _Michael looked uneasy. Lee shook his head vehemently. "No," he said. "No, you can't go back. It's not safe at all."_

 _All the worry and stress Will had been feeling started to come to the surface. He started subconsciously wrapping and unwrapping the ace bandage around his wrist. This had become a sign to his siblings that he was nervous, stressed, or upset. It was happening a lot more nowadays than it used to. He heard himself snap at Lee. "I have to go. Demigods do dangerous things all the time; I'll be fine."_

 _Lee seemed to be getting slightly frustrated, too. "This is a different kind of dangerous, Will. You don't understand,"_

 _Will's anger was steadily growing now. Didn't Lee see how important this was? "Then make me understand! Lee, this is my_ mom _. She needs me. She could get really hurt if I don't do something. I can't do anything here. I need to go to Tennessee, and I need you to set things up with Argus."_

 _But Lee was firm in his decision. "No, Will. I'm sorry, but you can't."_

 _Will couldn't believe it. Here was his brother, telling him that he wouldn't let him go help his mother. Will appealed to Michael. "C'mon, Michael. I have to help Mama."_

 _Michael looked unsure. "I can see both of your points," he began slowly. "But I think Lee's right, Will. It just wouldn't be safe."_

" _I don't care!" Will shouted. "This is important! I-"_

" _I know!" Lee yelled right back at him. It shocked Will into silence. Lee never raised his voice at anyone, unless he was yelling at everyone to get their attention. "I get that it's important! I want your mom to stop drinking just as much as you do. But you shouldn't be the one to do it. You said so yourself- your mom is almost always drunk these days. If you go home to her, she might hurt you. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. Drunk people aren't in their right minds. She might hurt you, even if she doesn't want to. It won't be safe for you to be alone with her. And her boyfriend, that Dillon guy- you don't know anything about him. Something bad could happen if you stay there. And you don't have anywhere else to go._

" _That's not the only thing, either. It's not entirely safe inside of Camp Half-Blood's boundaries these days. It'll be a lot worse if you go outside camp. Frankly, I don't like your chances of survival, Will. I don't want you to get hurt, or worse, killed." Then, quietly, he added. "I won't lose another sibling."_

 _Tears welled up in Will's eyes, and he ran out of the cabin. He went to Zeus' Fist and sat with his back up against it, crying. He stayed there until Cyrus and Brooke came looking for him so they could all go to dinner._

 _Will didn't speak to Lee for three days after that._

 _Eventually, though, he forgave his brother. Lee was just trying to keep him safe. The smile on Lee's face when Will walked with him to the infirmary that morning instead of purposefully going ahead of him made Will feel better, too._

Will went back to studying the textbooks in front of him. There had to be something, some kind of clue. But he had nothing to go on, really. The monster had claws, of course. But it was also poisonous. And what the heck did golden apples have to any of this? Poison, claws, apples. Poison, claws, apples.

Will groaned and let his head flop down onto the book he was currently looking through. It was getting kind of late, and he knew he should be heading back to the Apollo Cabin, but he didn't want to return without having gained some new information. It would be a personal failure. He picked up his head and soldiered on, desperation making him slightly impatient and desperate.

"Will?"

Will's head jerked up. Standing in the doorway were Annabeth and Luke. He was so intent on finding an answer, he hadn't noticed them come in. He smiled at the two demigods tiredly. "What's up? I didn't expect anyone to come in so late. Do you need Lee?"

Luke shook his head. "No. We actually came to see how you were doing. You've been holing yourself up in here the past few days,"

Will shrugged. "There have been a lot of people to treat," he murmured darkly.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but you're not going to do them any good if you're not healthy yourself."

He couldn't argue with that logic. Gods, why were Athena kids always right? But just because she was right, didn't mean he would heed her advice. "I want to try to at least get a vague idea of what's been going on. I hate losing so many people to this monster. I've already lost four siblings; I don't need to lose anymore."

Luke's eyes softened. "I know," he muttered. Then, perking up, he said, "Maybe we can help. One of us might think of something that you didn't."

Will pushed a few of the textbooks toward them as they pulled up chairs to sit in. "Alright. I've been looking through these to try to identify the poison, but I'm not making any progress."

Annabeth opened a particularly old book, and scanned the pages, her brow furrowed in concentration. Luke peered over Will's shoulder, frowning. They studied those books for another hour before Annabeth jerked suddenly and exclaimed, "Here! It says, ' _poison from the fangs of the Chimera is lethal. There have been none known to survive it, and there is no cure. Victims appear to welcome death. Because the Chimera is part lion, snake, and goat, puncture marks and claw marks might also be found on the victim.'_ That has to be it. Everyone who's died didn't want to be healed. Chimera poison was affecting their brains. Most of the victims had claw marks all over their body, and Edmund even had the puncture wounds."

"But how would the poison affect the people without puncture wounds?" Luke asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "I guess the snake part could have let poison from its fangs drip onto the lion's claws, and then the poison entered the wound made by the claws."

Luke frowned thoughtfully. "I guess that makes sense. What else do we know about the Chimera?" They all sat in silence for a minute, thinking. At last, Luke exclaimed, "Well, Typhon is its father, and Echidna is its mother. It has a few siblings, including Ladon and-"

"Wait." Will interrupted. His mind was reeling. "Ladon?"

"Yeah," Luke said. "That's the dragon that guards the Garden of the Hesperides."

Will's heart rate picked up. "The Garden of the Hesperides?" he repeated numbly.

"Yep. Y'know, the one with the golden-"

"The golden apples!" Will shouted.

Annabeth and Luke looked at him like he was crazy. "What's golden apples got to do with the Chimera?" Annabeth asked.

Will rushed to explain. "As Alec was dying, he told me and Lee to tell Chiron 'golden apples.' Lee and I didn't know what it meant, and Chiron wouldn't tell us if he did. But I think he was talking about Ladon. This poison is most likely Chimera poison, and Ladon is the Chimera's kin, so it could be doing this for Ladon; or Ladon could be making it do this to achieve some goal."

"Or," Luke suggested, "Some other mythical power could be employing them both."

Annabeth nodded slowly. "But how would Alec know about the golden apples if he was attacked by the Chimera?"

Luke was quick to answer. "Children of Apollo sometimes have glimpses of the future. Their demigod dreams can be more vivid, and they can receive small premonitions during the day. Of course, this doesn't apply to all of them, but it does happen. I bet that's what happened. Alec had a premonition during the night, and in it he saw golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. He either head some kind of noise or was acting purely on demigod instinct and went to the camp border. The Chimera attacked him. It's poison started to take its effect, but before he died, he managed to mention the apples. Ladon is behind this." Luke finished. "We have to do something, and quickly."

* * *

Everyone in the Apollo Cabin was angry with Chiron. He wouldn't let any one of them go on the quest to steal a golden apple. Lee felt that he should be able to go because he was the head counselor- not to mention that so many of his siblings had been taken from him by the Chimera. Michael argued that everyone needed Lee to stay at Camp Half-Blood to take care of them, and that it would be better if he went. The rest of the children of Apollo chose sides. Will, however, stayed neutral, even though Lee and Michael were each begging him to back them up. Will was just as mad as everyone else in his cabin was. He thought that a child of Apollo should be able to go to the Garden of Hesperides. He, Michael, and Lee had all tried to convince Chiron to let either Michael or Lee go. But Chiron was firm in his decision. He told them that he didn't think any of them were prepared for a quest. And then Hermes had to show up.

Will remembered that night. The whole camp was gathered around the campfire when Hermes appeared in a flash of light. He went to Chiron and ordered Luke to go on a quest to the Garden of Hesperides to retrieve a golden apple, which, when squeezed, could alter the effects of the Chimera poison. Luke was not at the campfire; he had spent the evening practising sword fighting, which was not an uncommon thing for him to do. Will thought it was unfortunate that he missed the opportunity to see his father, but that was life. At least Luke got to go on a quest. That was more than most demigods got.

Brian from the Ares Cabin and Adalaide from the Athena Cabin were chosen to accompany Luke. They accepted the quest and left the campfire quickly to inform Luke of the night's events and to pack so they could leave as soon as possible.

Lee and Michael were both livid. The Apollo Cabin had lost the most people, and everyone wanted to be the one to see justice was served. Instead, seemingly random campers were chosen. Luke, at least, made sense logically. He was experienced and responsible, and his skill with the sword surpassed everyone else's at camp. Sure, Adalaide and Brian had good qualities and would contribute to the quest in a positive way, but they lacked an emotional connection. But what could be done? Will sighed. Everyone wanted a quest these days. Annabeth in particular was desperate to prove herself, but Will doubted very many people would get that chance. Still, lots of people showed up to send the three on their way.

Will had never been in the attic of the Big House, and he had never seen the oracle. From what he had heard, she sounded really creepy. Personally, Will didn't like the idea of a corpse telling you that it was more than likely you'd die and fail, and quite possibly doom many other people when you did. No, he didn't think the questing lifestyle was for him. Besides, manning the infirmary kept him busy enough. It was a rare day that he and Lee didn't have their hands full. But Will wouldn't trade it for the world.

Luke, Brian, and Adalaide walked through the border and into the mortal world. The rest of camp watched them go, silent. A lot was riding on this quest. Was everyone wondering how many people would die before they got back?

Or were they thinking what he himself was thinking: Who of the three would they see again?

* * *

"Hey, freak!"

Will tried to ignore the voice, and he began to pick up his pace. He kept his head down and kept the archery range in sight as he hurried towards it. Suddenly, rough hands grabbed him from behind. Spinning him around, his antagonist quickly pulled him into the woods, away from the eyes of anyone who happened to be passing by.

Will looked at the beady eyes of Andrew. Intimidated but also irritated, Will asked curtly, "What do you want, Andrew?"

The demigod sneered. "I want you to get out of Camp Half-Blood, for Zeus' sake. Gods, you're completely _useless_. I mean, what kind of demigod can't use _any_ type of weapon? It's just pathetic. The only thing you can do remotely well is healing, and you couldn't even save your own _siblings_. I don't want my siblings' lives to depend on a failure like you, Solace."

Will's world felt like it had come to a standstill. _You couldn't even save your own siblings._ Those words stung like needles of ice being thrust into his heart. He felt cold and shocked. Of course, that thought had wandered through the son of Apollo's head a few times, but he had been quick to shove it to the darkest corners of his mind because he had done everything he could, and he knew that even Lee and Chiron couldn't always save everyone. But to have someone else voice it, to have someone blame him for the deaths of their friends and family….well, they were probably right. Everyone could be healed, couldn't they? There was a cure to everything, if you looked hard enough.

Will's heart sank at this revelation. He had let down his siblings and every other camper who had died. He hadn't tried hard enough. He was a healer; he should be able to help people. Failing someone meant letting them die. He wouldn't let anyone else die. He _had_ to try harder.

Andrew wasn't finished. "You're not supposed to be here, Solace. Demigods are supposed to fight for their survival- which you can't do. All you are is a _burden_. People are going to _die_ because they tried to protect a useless, worthless, and undeserving kid with a southern accent. Which, by the way, makes you sound stupid. You're going to kill more people than you could ever save- in fact, almost everyone who's come to you with a serious injury has died! You're the worst demigod who's ever existed!"

Will's eyes were wide, and, to his shame and embarrassment, were slowly filling with tears. Andrew's words made him feel useless, worthless, and undeserving. They made him realize that he should have been feeling this way ever since he came to Camp Half-Blood. Instead, he had wrongly felt accepted and appreciated. Now he could see just how far from the truth he was. Andrew was right. He _was_ a freak. What kind of demigod couldn't use _any_ weapon? What kind of healer lost more people than he saved? Not a good one, that was for sure. Everyone else at camp did amazing things. Even the other kids his age were better than him. When it came down to it, Will's whole existence was….meaningless.

"So, Solace, I suggest you go back to wherever you came from. Maybe the Fates will be kind to you and a monster will kill you while you're there." And with those cruel words, Andrew shoved Will as hard as he could and ran off. Will tripped over a tree root, scratched his calf on a rock, and hit his head hard enough to leave a bruise on the trunk of a tree. Miserable and in pain, he stood up shakily and walked deeper into the woods, seeking isolation.

He didn't know how long he had been walking, and he had been so disoriented that he didn't even know where he was. Sniffling, Will sat down against the sturdy trunk of an oak tree. He sat there, crying, for long time. By the time he stopped, the sun was low on the horizon, just starting to bleed into the red sky. Will didn't move, though, and instead just stared moodily at the ground.

"Y'know, I've never seen a son of Apollo brood before."

Will jerked his head up and saw Kenneth, son of Aphrodite, standing before him. "K-Kenneth?" he stuttered.

Kenneth walked over and sat down on the ground, despite the fact that he had probably just gotten dirt all over his designer grey skinny jeans. "So," the son of Aphrodite began. "Care to tell me what's been eating at you?"

Will didn't feel like sharing. He shrugged. "I'm fine," he murmured.

Kenneth raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Sure you are. C'mon, Will. I'm not my sisters. I don't gossip."

Will made the mistake of glancing at Kenneth. His green eyes sparkled in the dappled sunlight coming through the trees. His mahogany hair was stylishly tousled, as though he had just run his hand through it. His eyes gazed at Will softly, and his face was adorned with a small, warm smile. His body was turned fully towards Will, signifying that he was giving all his attention to Will. Kenneth's body language as a whole felt accepting and inviting, and Will found himself telling Kenneth at least a partial truth.

"I guess I just feel like I don't fit in," Will muttered, not meeting Kenneth's gaze. Subconsciously, he was suppressing his southern accent. He didn't realize it, but he was pronouncing his vowels as he had heard everyone else at camp pronounce them.

Kenneth seemed just as oblivious as Will was. "Do you miss Tennessee?" Kenneth asked kindly.

Will scrunched up his nose. "No. My mom and I never really had a great relationship, and the people in the part of Tennessee where I'm from can be really close-minded."

Will didn't notice it, but a pondering look took over Kenneth's features. "So," the son of Aphrodite began, "You feel like no one thinks you're worth anything? Like you're insignificant or a burden?"

Will nodded miserably. "Yeah," he said, dejected.

Again, Will didn't see it, but Kenneth's eyes glinted. Casually, Kenneth asked, "So I guess all you really want is to feel loved, so to speak."

Will tilted his head slightly to look at Kenneth. "I guess. I don't know."

Kenneth held Will's gaze for a moment, and then he stood up abruptly. The brunette offered Will his hand, and Will accepted it. "Let's get back to camp; your brothers are worried about you."

As they walked back to camp, Kenneth glanced at Will over his shoulder, a sideways smirk adorning his features. "For what it's worth, Will, _I_ really like you."

* * *

"Will!"

Michael's shout drew the attention of the rest of the Apollo Cabin. Bright grins split each of their faces, and he smiled right back at them, if only slightly less enthusiastic. Michael approached him, looking extremely relieved. "I thought you were going to meet me and Lee at the archery range!" He exclaimed, looking only slightly annoyed. He wrapped an arm around Will's shoulders and inserted himself between Will and Kenneth. Will didn't think anything of it at the time.

Will looked at his brother, an apology on his lips, when Abby ran up to him and tackled him in a hug. "Don't disappear like that again!" His sister scolded him. "We thought that the Chimera had gotten you!"

"I'm sorry, Abby," he said. He quickly formulated a lie. "I was walking in the woods, and I got lost. Kenneth found me," he added.

Lee walked up to the group. "Thanks for helping Will," he said begrudgingly.

Kenneth looked at Lee cooly and smirked. "No problem. He's a special kid." And then the son of Aphrodite walked back toward his own cabin. Again, nothing struck Will as odd at the time.

Brooke ran to them. "Will, you have a letter from your mother," she said.

His already tight smile became even more strained. "Thanks," he said, accepting the envelope. Turning to Lee, he said, "I'm gonna go in the cabin and read it."

"...Okay," Lee relented.

Racing inside, Will tore open the letter and jumped onto his bed. He began to read it. It said:

 _Dear Will,_

 _I know we argued the last time we communicated. But I'd really appreciate it if you'd our quarrels aside when you read this. Do remember that guy you saw in the background the first time we video chatted? Well, his name is Dillon Goldstein. He's a really fun guy, Will. I think he's awesome. He's been helping me a lot this past year, and I feel better and more alive than I've ever felt before. I want you to come home this Christmas to meet him. I've already contacted Chiron, and I included your plane ticket with this letter. Dillon really wants to get to know you. Oh, and when you come, don't mention your father. See you soon, kid._

 _Yours,_

 _Naomi Solace_

That was it. No _I love you, Will_ or _I miss you._ Just _I want you to come home to meet this new guy who made my life great._ Thanks, Mama.

Will looked at the plane ticket. It was dated for next Wednesday. His mother didn't make it seem like he had a real choice in the matter, so he supposed he was going to Tennessee next week. He felt a pain when he thought of the fact that he would be leaving Brooke, Michael, Lee, and Ally. His heart started beating rapidly when he thought of the fact that he would be going outside the border, which was potentially dangerous at the moment. But...his mother had reached out to him to try to get him to come home for Christmas. Will was desperate to rebuild his relationship with his mother. He needed to go to Tennessee this Christmas. Not only for Naomi, but for himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay. I haven't posted since around Christmas, which is totally unacceptable. I'm really, really, really sorry. You guys deserve a lot better than that. Today is Valentine's Day- by the way, Happy Valentine's Day!- and so I decided that, because I love you guys so much, I would pull myself together and just WRITE until I finished this chapter. I honestly don't know why, but this was a very difficult chapter for me to write and my writer's block did not help at all. But I'm not here to make excuses. IMPORTANT: In this chapter, it is very important to pay attention to the wording when Dillon speaks. I hope I conveyed it well enough, but the whole point of Dillon's character is to make Will feel powerless and worthless. Dillon holds Will in no special regards, and that is apparent in the way he talks to him. It will affect who he is and how he views himself.**

 **Thank you a million times over to RosettaQueen20! Whenever I'm taking forever, review or PM me and yell at me, please. Chances are that motivation will get me going again. RosettaQueen20, this chapter is for you. I hope it was worth the wait, even if it is kind of short.**

 **Warning: Verbal abuse. Nothing graphic, more allusions to it than anything, but that's what it is, no matter how hidden and cryptic it may appear.**

 **Disclaimer: Percy Jackson is not mine. I do not own any characters that you recognize. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

"What do you _mean_ you're leaving for Tennessee tomorrow?!"

Will calmly explained- again. "I'm visiting my mom for Christmas. She already informed Chiron about it and bought me a plane ticket. I'll be back on New Year's Day."

"But it's dangerous! Will, we don't know what's going on with the Chimera and Ladon. You could get seriously hurt!"

"He'd more likely die," interjected Michael, ever the pessimist. "No one has survived its attacks yet."

"Michael!" scolded his sisters simultaneously.

Lee opted to ignore them. "Something bad could happen, Will. I understand that you want to see your mom again, but you have to consider your safety! I-" Lee swallowed, and his gaze turned anguished. "I couldn't bare the thought of losing you. I've already lost so many of my siblings. I refuse to let you die before me."

Will understood the pain Lee felt. He felt it, too. It was a very difficult thing, losing someone and then having to get on with life. You felt their absence with every fiber of your being. You find yourself looking at everyday objects that you wouldn't have given a second glance at before, but instead you are reminded of them and looking at that object becomes excruciatingly painful. You don't know how you could go on living. You think of how unfair life- and death- is. But it was necessary to move on, no matter how harsh it sounded. The world continued, and life continued, whether you wanted it to or not. "I know. But I won't be anywhere near the Chimera. Beckendorf already agreed to go with me to the airport to make sure I'd get on the plane safely. You can come, too, if you want. But I have to do this, no matter how dangerous you think it will be."

Lee stared at his brother for a long time. Finally, he sighed. "Obviously, you're not going to change your mind, and since you already asked Chiron _and_ your mom bought you a ticket, I can't prevent you from going." Lee bent down so that he was eye level with Will and put a hand on his shoulder. "But I can, as your older brother, tell you that you better be careful. If you run into any kind of problem at all, Iris message me and we'll figure out a way to get you home that same day. Don't take _any_ risks, okay?"

Will smiled at his big brother. "Thanks, Lee,"

"No problem, kid. And you better bet I'm coming with you to that airport."

Will turned around, about to start packing for his trip, when Michael called out to him. "Hey, Will? I have something for you to take on your trip, just in case you encounter a monster."

Will walked over to Michael. When Michael held out a dagger toward him, Will opened his mouth to argue that he wouldn't be able to use it, but Michael interrupted him. "I know fighting has never been one of your strengths," he began, "but take it just in case you get caught in a sticky situation. I'd offer you a bow and a quiver of arrows, but I think you might stand a better chance with a dagger. This one is enchanted. Apollo may be the god of healing, but he was also known for spreading diseases and plagues. Whomever you stab or cut with this dagger will become ill. So if you stab a monster, it will- at the very least- weaken them enough for you to escape. But you only get two uses out of it, so be careful to use it only in emergencies. I already used it once, and Dad said it would only work three times."

"Wait," Will said. "This is a gift from Apollo to you? And you want me to take it on my trip?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah. Honestly, the dagger has never been my kind of weapon, enchanted or not. I know for a fact that I'm not going to be on a quest for years yet, if I even ever go on one, so I won't be needing it. Besides, I'd still trust a bow and arrows more than a dagger. It would be a shame to let that knife go to waste, though, so I'm glad to give it to you for your trip. If it saves your life, then it will have done its job, and that will be good enough for me."

Will gave Michael a half smile. "Thanks,"

Michael ruffled Will's hair. "Don't mention it, bro. Now, go pack up."

* * *

"Now, remember: if _any kind_ of problem arises at _any time_ , Iris message me. I'll find a way to get you home safely. Be safe. Be careful. Feel free to contact me even of it's two in the morning. Just- just come home safely." Lee's voice nearly cracked, and Will had never seen him look more worried, save the times he was trying- but failing- to save a patient.

They were in the airport, and Will was about to board the plane. He was saying goodbye to Lee, but was struggling to find the words to convey to his brother that he would be alright. "I'll be okay, Lee. Really. And if I get in a really tight spot, I have the dagger Michael gave me."

Lee looked unconvinced, but he gave in nonetheless. He hugged Will for a full minute, whispering into his hair, "I'll see you soon. Don't tell Michael, but you're my favorite brother."

Will laughed at Lee's half-hearted joke and hugged him tighter before finally pulling away. It was time. "Bye, Lee."

"Bye, Will."

And Will got on the plane, ready to spend the holidays with his mother. Goodbye New York, hello Tennessee.

* * *

Will waited. And waited. This is where his mother told him to meet her after he got off his flight, but he didn't see her anywhere. Worry gnawed at his stomach. What if she changed her mind? What if she couldn't pick him up and he was stranded at the airport? Was this even the right airport? He checked the sign. Yeah, it was. So where was Mama?

"Are you Will Solace?"

Will turned around and saw a guy in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. He was fairly tall, around 6'2", and he had a very muscular build. His hair was a dark brown, and it appeared almost black. His eyes, however, were probably the most interesting thing about him. They were really quite a pretty grey-green color, with flecks of gold around the rims. Will mentally chastised himself. The man's eyes were _cool_ , not pretty. Mama wouldn't like him saying something like that.

Will eyed the guy with uncertainty. "Uh, yes?"

The guy smiled, and he seemed pleasant enough, but Will still felt a bit of unease in the pit of his stomach. But maybe it was just Lee's words making him paranoid. Green Eyes approached Will and held out his hand. "I'm Dillon Goldstein, your mother's fiancé."

"W-what?" Will stuttered, shocked. _Fiancé_? When did that happen? He felt bad about it, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit of anger towards his mother. He hadn't even met this guy yet, and she had only known him for about eighteen months!

Dillon winced. "Oh. Naomi didn't tell you, did she?" Will shook his head. Dillon continued. "I'm sorry you had to find out about it like this, bud. But it'll be a good thing." Dillon suddenly smiled again. "Hey, your mom's out at a meeting with her record label. We should go do something, just the two of us. I'd love to get to know you better."

Disappointment gnawed at Will. "She's not here? She told Ch- my camp instructor that she'd pick me up from the airport. It was one of the few reasons my counselor let me come here."

"It was a last-minute meeting," Dillon was hasty to reassure him. "She would be here if she could be." But Will knew better. Sure, it was entirely possible his Mama had a meeting, but it wasn't last minute. In fact, it was probably planned months in advance.

"You don't have to lie to me," Will told Dillon. "I know her meeting was probably scheduled a while back."

Dillon seemed to be at a loss for what to say. Finally, he asked, "So, how about we get some ice cream? Would you like that, bud?"

Ignoring the- frankly annoying- nickname, Will nodded unenthusiastically. "Sure."

Even though Will protested, Dillon took his suitcase and the duffle bag Lee had lent Will from him. "I can carry them," Will insisted again.

Dillon just grinned at him, and he somehow managed to ruffle Will's hair. "Don't worry about it, bud. You're tired from the flight. I'm carrying your luggage."

It made Will feel a little useless. He knew it really shouldn't have, but that's how he felt nonetheless. They arrived at what Will assumed was Dillon's car, because it wasn't his mother's. Will climbed into the backseat as Dillon put his belongings in the trunk of the car. The trunk slammed closed, and Dillon climbed into the driver's seat. Will had already buckled his seatbelt and was waiting for Dillon to start the car. After a moment or two had passed and there was still no response from Dillon, Will said, "Uh, Mr. Goldstein?"

Dillon Goldstein sighed, than looked back at Will. "You should call me Dad," Dillon said.

Will blinked. "W-what?"

"You should call me Dad. I'll even call you son, if you'd like,"

"O-oh, I, um…" Will stuttered. "I think I'd prefer it if you just called me Will, and if it's alright with you, I'd rather I just called you Dillon or Mr. Goldstein."

Dillon shook his head, as if he was disappointed in Will. "Will, son, both 'Dillon' and 'Mr. Goldstein' are way too formal. I'm going to be your stepfather- actually, I'll be more like a father to you than your biological father was. You know what biological means, right, Will?"

Will was mildly offended. Just how dumb did this guy think he was? And while Apollo certainly had never even had the decency to meet Will, Will understood that his father had important godly things to take care of, and if they didn't involve him, than that was okay, because he had a cabin full of siblings who loved him enough to make up for his father's absence. "Yes, I know what biological means. Dad is a busy guy, but that doesn't mean he's _bad_. He just doesn't have a lot of time on his hands. Besides, he doesn't even know where I am; he couldn't visit even if he wanted to."

"Bud," Dillon said, gazing at him almost sadly. "Don't you think that your father would try to find out where you were if he truly cared about you?" Well, Apollo probably did know that he was at Camp Half-Blood, but Will couldn't tell Dillon that. Dillon continued. "You're better off without that guy. I don't want our relationship to be like the ones in fairy tales- this is real life and I want us to have a good father-son relation-"

"I'm not your son," Will interrupted.

"You're as good as," Dillon stated firmly. "Naomi and I are getting married on Christmas Eve. It's not going to be a big thing, but we want you and my four daughters to be there." Seeing the surprised look on Will's face, Dillon elaborated. "Your mother didn't mention? I have four daughters, who are about to become your sisters. My oldest, Colette, is two years older than you. Serena is one year older than you, Emmeline is eight, and Blair is six. You're nine, so you'd be right in the middle."

How could his mother not tell him this? It was probably because she knew that he might not have come if he knew she was-

Will's entire world came to a stop as he realized what Dillon had said. _Mama was going to get married on Christmas Eve, in three days._ No. No, no, no, _no_. She only lured him here so he could be at the wedding! Sure, she didn't have to invite him, but she never even sat down with Will and talked to him about it. This would affect him, too- he was about to find himself with a stepfather and four- four!- stepsisters. First of all, a little warning would have been nice. Secondly, he would have appreciated it if his mother had been a little more honest with him. He was sick of her half truths. She had told him she wanted him to meet someone, and that was what he had been prepared to do. Will didn't want any part in... _this_. But now he was here, and he couldn't go back to camp. However, he promised himself that as soon as this wedding was over, he would go back to camp and leave his mother to her new life, and hopefully she would leave him to his, because he had no interest in coming back to Tennessee. New York was his home now, and he wanted nothing more than to go back to it.

Dillon's voice cut through Will's thoughts. "I know it's a lot to take in, but you _will_ like it with us, Will." At the time, Will didn't know to pay careful attention to the wording. "C'mon. Let's get started on the right foot. Call me dad, and I'll call you son."

Will was able to respond even though his mind was still reeling. "I'm sorry, Mr. Goldstein, but I'd really prefer it if I called you Mr. Goldstein, at least for now."

Dillon's eyes hardened. "I'm not accepting anything else, Will." he said firmly. "You will call me 'Dad' or you won't receive any meals. We're all going to be a perfect family, understood?" Dillon was obviously trying to keep his temper in check, and, although it baffled Will, he found himself hastily agreeing.

Dillon didn't relax. "Call me 'Dad.'" he instructed.

"Yes...Dad," Will said, the word sounding foreign and even just a little bit disgusting on his tongue.

Finally satisfied, Dillon turned around in his seat and started the car. "Thank you." Dillon said in a tone that clearly suggested Will was behaving irrationally. Will was confused, but he held his tongue. They pulled out of the airport and made their way to Naomi's house. Or, that's where Will thought they were going. Instead, they ended up in front of a _huge_ , pristine house. It looked nice in the outside, but it also looked cold to Will.

"Where are we?" Will asked.

"This is my home, and it will also be yours and your mother's."

Will was confused. "What about our home?"

Dillon didn't even spare him a glance. "Naomi is selling it. You both will be moving in with me and my daughters."

Dillon turned off the engine and took the keys out of the ignition. "C'mon, Will. Hop on out of the car. I'll carry your things in for you."

"I can get them," Will insisted.

Dillon eyed him skeptically. "No, you can't. You're not strong enough."

"I carried them onto the plane." Will protested. "They're not even remotely too heavy for me, I swear."

Dillon's eyes flashed. "Lying is not tolerated in my household, Will. You are too weak to carry your own suitcases. I am much stronger than you, and I will do it for you."

Will was silent. He knew when a matter was closed.

Dillon nodded at his submissive silence. "Good." He then proceeded to take Will's things out of the trunk for him, and carried them inside. Will followed, annoyed and slightly confused.

A girl of eleven with long dark hair that fell past her shoulders in graceful waves opened the door for them. Her eyes were a pretty violet color and she had plump rose-red lips. Her features were regal, and, despite the sneer on her face, she appeared quite beautiful, even to Will, who didn't usually think much about girls' appearances.

"Colette," Dillon greeted warmly. "This is Naomi's son, Will. Remember how I said he'd be staying with us from now on?"

Colette turned to face Will. Her eyes raked up and down his body. Will felt inexplicably bare and vulnerable in front of her. She scrunched up her pretty nose and said, in obvious disgust, "Yes, Dad, I remember."

"Hi," Will said with uncertainty.

"Hello," his soon-to-be-step-sister replied unenthusiastically. She stepped aside and motioned for them to enter. Dillon placed a firm hand in between Will's shoulder blades and pushed him over the threshold of the house. Will looked around him in amazement. The entryway had beautiful dark wood floors, and directly in front of them was a grand spiral staircase stretching up toward the vaulted ceilings. The whole place screamed wealth and riches, though in Will's eyes in _was_ a bit overdone, especially with the elegant gold chandelier hanging above them.

Will followed Dillon into what he assumed was the family room, but it was about three times as big as his and Naomi's had been. Seated on the black leather couches were his mother and four other girls.

Naomi smiled. "Hello, Will."

Will tried to smile back, but he was still feeling a little bitter. "Hello. I thought you were at a meeting?" He couldn't help adding the last part, accusation in his tone.

She readily met his gaze. "It ended much earlier than I expected."

Dillon cast a disapproving glance and a stern frown Will's way. "Don't talk to your mother like that. She didn't have to invite you to her wedding, but she did, out of the kindness of her heart."

Naomi smiled sweetly at her fiancé. "That's sweet of you to say." She put a hand to her heart, acting touched.

Will found it disgusting.

Naomi turned to the girls on the couch. "Girls, this is your new brother, Will. Will, these are your sisters, Serena-" she gestured to a girl in between Will and Colette's age with the same dark hair as Colette and green eyes. Serena regarded him coolly. "-Emmeline-" Here Naomi pointed toward an eight-year-old with, surprise, dark curly hair, blue-green eyes, and freckles across her nose. "-and Blair." Naomi gazed gently at the six-year-old and put a hand on the girl's dark locks. Blair grinned happily at Naomi, her grey-green eyes- so like her father's- shone with adoration, and it was impossible not to fall in love with her dimples.

Looking at them all, Will felt like an outcast. He must have taken after Apollo, because he looked almost nothing like his mother. She had wavy brown hair that wasn't as dark as the Goldstein's, but it was close, and emerald green eyes. Will stuck out like a sore thumb. You couldn't even tell they were related. He was the only one who was blonde haired and blue eyed. It was just about impossible for him to differ from this family any more than he already did.

"Nice to meet you," he said, trying to be polite. All he got in return was a few murmured greetings in a bored tone. Oh, he could tell he was going to love it here already.

He didn't know it at the time, but he would soon discover he hated that house and the people in it.

An awkward silence filled the room until Dillon broke it. "Well, _son_ , I think it's time I show you to your room." Will nodded, and they started walking back toward the staircase in the front of the house.

"Will!" Naomi chastised. "Don't be lazy; you should be carrying your own luggage, not making Dillon do it for you!"

Will turned back to her and was about to respond indignantly when Dillon spoke. "No, no, Naomi. I told Will to let me carry his suitcases. He's much too weak to do it himself. He needs someone else to do it for him."

Will's mother looked placated. "Alright. I'll see you two at dinner, then?"

"Definitely." Dillon assured.

Will trailed behind Dillon as he led him to his room on the third floor. Dillon deposited his things, and instructed Will to unpack. Then he left, much to Will's relief. Unpacking didn't take long, and Will sat down carefully on the edge of his new bed. It didn't feel right; nothing in this house did. Everything looked perfect, but it all felt cold and formal, a mere guise of the ugliness beneath. He didn't like it at all and resolved to return to New York the second this wedding thing was over.

He looked around at his surroundings, and he knew that that day wouldn't come quickly enough.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a review or PM me. I'd be only too happy to answer.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey...I am SO sorry for the long absence the past year(? yikes) has been very eventful and stressful for me. I lost motivation for writing, but know that for a long time now I've been trying to keep writing this sentence by sentence. Very recently inspiration and motivation came back to me, and now here we are! I will do everything I can to make sure that I never have another absence quite so long. I will try to update much more regularly. This work was never abandoned, nor will it ever be. At the very least, I will always finish anything that I start. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this and not given up on it. Thank you to the people who still reviewed/followed/favorites even though I had been MIA for such a long time. You are where a lot of my motivation came from, and I couldn't have gotten past my writer's block without you! You guys are the best!**

 **Now, a there's a little bit to know before reading...**

 **Will is about nine/ten in this chapter, but to you have may seem older/younger than that in certain parts. One reason for this is that I have always headcanoned Will to be a mature kid. The other, and more significant, reason is that he is a demigod and has been surrounded by older demigods for a few years now, and it is during these years that a lot of kids learn through observation. They start copying the behaviors of the people they look up to. And the people Will is looking up to while at Camp Half-Blood are older demigods who have fought in battles. Will is no stranger to the pain that these people go through and the threats that they face. He'll seem older because of this. That being said, when he goes to visit certain people, he might seem a little younger to you because that is how he is used to behaving around those people in that kind of environment. If you would like a more thorough explanation, feel free to PM me!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson—those rights go to Rick Riordan. I only own a couple OCs. Some events will line up with ones in canon, and I don't own those, either.**

 **WARNING: mentions of drinking, implied drunkenness, mentions of abuse, an abuse scene, mildly strong language, emotional manipulation, homophobia. Please read at caution. If you'd like a summary of what happened in this chapter without the abuse scene (or anything else), feel free to PM me.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Luke, if you don't stop glowering, Will won't be able to stitch your wound properly."

Will shot Lee a grateful glance as Luke's face relaxed, if only marginally. "What's the point?" Luke demanded. "It's still gonna scar."

Will answered softly, "Yeah, it is. But if this gets infected, or even if the stitches end up a slipshod job, then it will be a lot worse for you. Besides, one scar isn't going to mar your good looks." Will grinned. "All the Aphrodite girls will still stare at you and sigh when you walk past."

Luke scowled slightly again, and Will had to quickly stop the stitching process so that he didn't hurt Luke. "I still can't believe I didn't defeat that overgrown lizard. He's already been defeated once! But I still couldn't kill him."

Lee stared at Luke incredulously. "No, actually. Ladon wasn't defeated by Hercules. Hercules tricked Atlas into getting an apple for him. The fact that you made it out of that situation alive is impressive."

Luke's face took on a reddish tint. "That's another thing. My father sent me on a quest that was impossible to complete without the help of another immortal being. He knew what Hercules went through to get it, yet he still sent me, and didn't even bother to send any divine help. As if there was any glory in the quest to begin with. I was always meant to try and copy Hercules. Hermes couldn't even be bothered to give me my own quest."

Lee looked as flabbergasted as Will felt. "Luke, you saved the camp. Who cares if Hercules had been sent on a quest to the Garden of Hesperides before? The situations weren't the same. The outcome was different—"

"Yeah, it was," Luke snapped. "Adalaide and Brian _died_. Even when their children were about to die, none of our parents stepped in to help us. And it cost two lives. Damn _Hercules_ had help, but when I faced a dragon, did I get any aid? Did anyone try to save Brian or Adalaide? No! They didn't! We're worthless to them, Lee! They don't care about us. Camp Half-Blood only exists so they don't have to deal with us. The only reason we exist is so that we can do their dirty work for them when they don't feel like peeling themselves off of their divine thrones! The gods—"

"Castellan," Lee said firmly, his face a cold mask. "You will stop yelling in my infirmary."

Luke, who had gotten more and more passionate and angry as his monologue went on, seemed to realize that Lee wasn't messing around. He was quiet, but he was still seething. His tense facial muscles didn't help Will complete his task any more quickly.

"Now," Lee continued, still speaking sternly. "You will let Will finish stitching your wound, without any more complaints and without slandering our parents. Demigods don't have good lives. We constantly live in danger, and we live with the knowledge that each breath we take could be our last. Everyone in this camp knows that. You can think what you will, but you will not spread those opinions around the infirmary. The patients here are stressed out enough as it is, and they don't need you to make it even harder for them to recover. Besides," Lee suddenly raised his voice so that others in the infirmary could hear it as well, "someone has to defend the world. Why shouldn't it be us? No one is ever given anything in life that they can't handle. Each and every one of us are demigods for a reason. There are worse lives to live." And with those encouraging words, Lee rose from his seat and left the infirmary.

The infirmary was quiet for a while, until Luke broke the silence. He turned to look Will straight in the eyes and said, "He doesn't seriously _believe_ that, does he? If that nonsense is true, then why do demigods go into fights that they won't come out of?" Luke looked disgusted, and Will felt uneasy as he pondered how best to answer the son of Hermes.

"I think," Will began softly as he worked on Luke's face, "that Lee meant we all have the capability to survive the life we were given. I mean, sure, obviously not everyone does, but that just meant it was their time to...go. No one is invincible, but no one is doomed to fail, either." Will pulled the needle a little too harshly in frustration, and apologized when Luke winced. "I don't know. It's hard to explain. But those demigods died because of physical wounds more than they did because they were meant to be sacrifices, or because they never stood a chance in the first place. They _could_ have won the fight, but as the Fates would have it, they didn't."

"You're too young to understand, Will." Luke murmured. "The gods just...don't care about us. At all."

* * *

 _Will was back in Tennessee, sitting with his family at a restaurant. Dillon and Naomi were telling him which menu options he was allowed to order._

" _We just don't have enough money to get everyone what they want, kid," Dillon was saying. "So as the man of the bunch, you're going to have to make sacrifices."_

 _Will didn't argue. He had at first, sure, but he quickly learned that Dillon didn't react well to be talked back to, and Naomi was convinced that she had found some kind of god in her new husband. Will couldn't help but feel bitter about the irony._

 _The waitress came to take their orders, and Will watched his step-sisters proceed to each order the more expensive options on the menu. When his turn to order came, he quietly requested the first option that his mother had suggested to him, all the while eyeing Dillon's hands where they rested on the table, and feeling a small flash of panic each time one of them twitched._

Will woke up and glanced around himself cautiously, adrenaline rushing through his veins, body tense and on high alert. Slowly, he relaxed, gaining reassurance from looking at the sleeping forms of his siblings.

He wasn't in Tennessee.

He was okay.

* * *

Percy Jackson.

He had been in Camp Half-Blood for less than twenty-four hours, and he was already all anyone could talk about.

"Did you hear? He defeated the _Minotaur_ with his bare hands! Before he even knew he was a demigod!"

"There are rumors that he's a child of the Big Three!"

"He's hot, too!"

Yeah. Percy Jackson was all anyone at Camp Half-Blood could talk about. Will wasn't bitter. He _wasn't._ He was just...a little jealous? But only because this Percy kid was turning out to be a good fighter, and that was what demigods cared about the most. Fighting monsters. There was no other reason.

"Hey, Will! Wanna spar?"

His attention was pulled back to his brother in front of him. "Uh, I don't know, Cyrus. Sparring isn't really my thing."

"Please, Will? I really want to practice, and everyone else is busy. Just for, like, a half hour?" Cyrus pleaded with him, making his violet eyes grow wider. It didn't garner sympathy nearly as much as he was hoping.

Will sighed. "Fifteen minutes," he compromised.

"Yes!" Cyrus pumped his fist in the air. "C'mon, man, we gotta go before Luke starts teaching his class!"

Unfortunately, they did not get there before Luke's class began. Brynn from the Demeter Cabin needed Will's help with a splinter, but got squeamish each time he tried to reach for it and would snatch her hand away from him. Finally, he and Cyrus both got so impatient that Will told her, as politely as he could, that she should visit Lee in the infirmary. When they did arrive at the sword arena, Luke was nearing the end of his lesson. They lingered in the doorway for a while, and they watched as Luke demonstrated a disarming maneuver to his class. And then as Percy Jackson managed to disarm the best swordsman in the camp during his very first lesson. Ever.

"He is _good_ ," Cyrus whispered in awe. "I wish I could do that! Luke always has the tightest grip on his sword. It's totally not fair."

"Maybe Luke went easy on him because he's new," Will said, although both of them knew that wasn't true. Luke would never miss an opportunity to show off his swordsmanship. "Anyway, let's just get this over with."

Cyrus led Will over to the sword rack. Will eyed the weapons distastefully. He didn't like hurting people, nor did he like the idea of holding something that could cause significant harm to a person. In his mind, he started to go over the procedure for treating a small cut from a sword. _Disinfect the wound, no matter how small or fresh it is. If it's not too deep, get a bandage and bind it. If it_ is _deep-_

"You're doing that thing again," Cyrus interrupted his train of thought.

Will jerked backwards and looked at his brother. "What thing?"

Cyrus pointed to Will's left arm. "The thing where you wrap and unwrap the ace bandage around your arm a bunch of times. You know, when you get nervous or upset, or even sometimes just really lost in your own mind." Guilt crept into his violet eyes. "Look, if you're nervous about sparring, then we really don't have to-"

"No!" Will insisted. "No, it's okay. I don't mind helping you out. I was just thinking about how to treat sword wounds, that's all."

Cyrus looked concerned, and Will mentally cursed. "I'm not going to hurt you, Will-"

"It's not that," Will hurried to reassure his brother. "That's just what I think of first when I see a sword. Not that it will hurt me, but how to treat the wound it could inflict."

Cyrus visibly relaxed when he heard this, and Will let out a silent sigh of relief. "Then let's get going!"

And so they sparred. Well, Cyrus sparred. Will was mostly just trying to avoid his brother's attacks. He was clumsy, he was sure he was holding the sword incorrectly, and he knew that it would only take one good hit for Cyrus to disarm him.

While he attempted to dodge his brother's blows, Will thought about Percy Jackson. He had disarmed Luke— _Luke_!—during his first sword lesson. Jackson had even managed to defeat the Minotaur with his bare hands, not to mention that there were rumors circulating that the first monster he had ever faced was a Fury. This guy was way too good to be true. The worst part was that he was only a couple years older than Will was himself. Will had been at Camp Half-Blood since he was seven, and that was three years ago. Percy had been at Camp for roughly twenty-four hours, and already he was proving to be a better demigod than Will was. Jealousy started growing like a weed around his heart. For _years_ he had tried to prove that he was worthy of being a demigod. All campers come to Camp hoping to prove themselves, and all except Will eventually did. Will could heal; in fact, that was something that he did very well. But he didn't want to be stuck on the sidelines his entire life while his friends and family all got revered for their battle achievements. He wanted to be like all the fighters in Camp—respected, trusted, _valued_. After all the effort he had put into improving and all the time he spent fruitlessly in the training arena, he was still as horrible as he had been from day one. Most campers at least started out on the same level as he did, even if they did inevitably surpass him. Percy Jackson wasn't even on his level to start with. He was already almost as good as some of the greatest fighters in Camp Half-Blood.

What if...What if this was a sign? What if demigods were only going to get better from now on? Was everyone going to come into Camp knowing how to use a sword properly? Was...Will going to get left behind?

Will's thoughts were interrupted when Cyrus knocked his blade right into the base of Will's, sending it flying across the room because of Will's shoddy grip on it.

Will watched it land near one of the training dummies bitterly and hoped that his scowl wasn't showing on his face. He felt a hand grip his upper arm and jumped slightly. He whipped around with wide eyes, an apology on his lips, until he saw Cyrus' violet eyes. He relaxed slightly, though he could still feel the adrenaline rushing through his body. The easy smile that graced his faced came instinctively to him.

"Well, you beat me again," Will high-fived Cyrus, who was grinning widely. Will sent a silent—unanswered—prayer of thanks to Apollo that his little brother didn't notice anything.

"You lasted longer this time!" Cyrus informed him excitedly. "You're still better at archery than you are at sword fighting, but I think with some more time you could definitely improve—"

"Cyrus," Will interrupted, forcing his amiable smile to stay on his face, "you and I both know that I'm absolutely terrible at anything involving a weapon." He ruffled his little brother's hair. "I think it's best if I stick to healing, don't you?" He said in a teasing tone, praying to Zeus that his brother wouldn't see his insecurities.

Cyrus, thankfully, laughed and ducked away from Will's hand. "Yeah, probably," he said, eyes shining.

Will ignored the dull pang in his chest at the agreement and held out his hand. "Let's go back to Cabin 7," he suggested. "It's almost time for dinner, anyway." Together they went back to their cabin, and Will pushed all thoughts of Percy Jackson far from his mind.

* * *

Naturally, he was a son of freaking Poseidon.

* * *

Will was worried. Even though Percy wasn't necessarily Will's favorite person at Camp, the guy still deserved to get his mom back. He really hoped he did, too. He had heard that she was really nice.

He was in the infirmary restocking supplies and thinking about the quest when Michael wondered in. "Hey, bro," he said. "How's business today?"

"Slow," Will replied.

Michael laughed. "Well, that's always good. Although it is a little suspicious. Are the Ares kids under some kind of spell? Or maybe the Hermes Cabin just pranked them, and now they're glued to their bedposts."

"Ha, yeah," Will replied offhandedly. He noted in the back of his mind that he was wrapping and unwrapping an ace bandage around his wrist.

Michael's brow creased with concern. "Are you okay, Will?" he asked softly.

Will was quiet for a moment before he responded. "I think so."

Michael continued to stare at him, though, so he looked up and met his older brother's brown eyed gaze. "What?" he asked, a little defensively, "I'm fine!"

Michael raised a single eyebrow at him. He walked over to Will, grabbed his arm, and led him to one of the beds near the back window of the infirmary. "Sit," he instructed. Once Will had, Michael sat down next to him. "Now," he said, "tell me what's bothering you."

The genuine concern in Michael's eyes made Will cave. "Do you think their quest will go okay?" he blurted. Michael looked surprised by the sudden question, and Will hurried to continue. "It's just that the last quest...didn't go so well," he finished in a whisper.

A warm hand was placed on his bicep. Will stared down at his lap as Michael rubbed small circles on his arm. "I honestly don't know what will happen, Will." He sounded sad. "I wish I could tell you that everything will be okay, but only the Fates know that."

"It's true, Will. Only the Fates know what will happen to us for sure. But we can make a pretty good guess."

The sons or Apollo looked up to see Luke Castellan standing in the doorway, a shallow cut on his arm. Will quickly jumped off the bed and grabbed some ambrosia from the supply closet as Luke continued talking.

"The Fates know what will happen to us with certainty. But humans are capable of predicting outcomes from the patterns they see. When death is coming to greet you—" Luke's voice was dark and cold with knowledge, "—you can _feel_ it—"

"Luke," Michael cut in, his tone one of warning.

"—we know when Hades reaches out his hand. We don't need the gods to tell us that—"

"But," Michael interrupted, starting to rise from the bed, "we need the gods to help us. Our powers come from them, and they have helped demigods on quests before—"

"When it serves their best interests," Luke protested.

"They've helped for other reasons! They chose sides in the Trojan War so that the country they supported wouldn't lose, and Zeus even stayed out of it, for the most part. They're not as heartless as you make them out to be, Luke."

Luke stared at Michael, silent. The air buzzed with tension, and Will watched with wide eyes as the world slowed down, only to snap into place again when Luke's voice cut through it. "No, they're not that heartless. You're right, Michael. I'm sorry. I had a nightmare about my quest last night, and I think that some of the old resentment has stayed with me."

Michael's eyes softened. "It's all right, Luke. You're a good person," he added softly. "We all look up to you and trust you."

Luke nodded absentmindedly, and Will took the opportunity to hand him the small square of ambrosia in his hand. "For your arm," he said.

Luke glanced down at him, and Will couldn't help but notice how much older his scar made him look. He really did look like he'd been to the Underworld and back, and Will discovered that, in that moment, he was unsurprised that demigods died so young if their battle wounds made them age that much.

* * *

"But it doesn't make sense," Will protested. "Why would they _do_ that? That herb doesn't have any type of healing properties at all! The doctors in ancient Greece couldn't have been _that_ stupid."

Malcolm's eye twitched. "Look," he said, "that's just what they thought would work back then! I can't explain exactly _why_ the doctor decided to use that plant, but he did, and you're just going to have to live with it, Will. It's not even an important element in the myth."

Will huffed. "I'm going to the lake," he said, unable to listen to Malcolm's lesson anymore.

Malcolm threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! But if Chiron scolds you, don't blame me." And with that he got up and walked away.

Will stood up as well and brushed off his pants. He'd go talk to the naiads; they were always nice.

He'd been talking to them for a little while when someone sat down next to him. "Hi, Will," they greeted him, fondness leaking from their tone.

Will looked up in surprise. "Hey, Kenneth. What are you doing here?"

"I was just taking a walk," he said, "I saw you and thought I'd keep you company."

For some reason unknown to Will, that statement made heat rise to his cheeks. "Thanks," he replied.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through his mind, almost as vividly as it had been the day it happened.

 _He was standing in between Colette and Serena, their seafoam green dresses contrasting greatly with his grey suit. His was a hand-me-down from someone on his mother's side—he couldn't remember who—and he kept having to readjust the sleeves so that they didn't fall past his hands. The material was itchy, and he had to refrain from scratching. Dillon and Naomi wouldn't like it if he kept fidgeting._

 _Finally, the ceremony was over and it was time for the reception. Will did his best to stay in the background, not really in the mood for celebrating. He wasn't sure what he'd be allowed to eat, and he didn't want to upset the happy couple, so he decided it was best not to eat at all._

 _He was awkwardly standing against a wall when a boy, perhaps a year older than him, approached. He had curly brown hair and bright amber eyes. Freckles dotted his caramel-colored cheeks, and when he smiled, Will noticed he had dimples._ He's cute, _Will thought._

" _I'm Bay," he introduced himself. "Who are you?"_

" _Will," Will responded shyly. He glanced down at his shoes, and then back up at Bay._

 _He was smiling. "I like that name! Do you want to dance with me, Will?"_

 _Will allowed himself to smile at the invitation. That was okay, wasn't it? Everyone else was dancing, so he didn't see a reason why he couldn't. "Sure," he agreed eagerly, taking Bay's outstretched hand in his and walking towards the dance floor._

 _Will had never danced with someone before, so he didn't know what he was doing, exactly, but Bay didn't seem to know what to do, either. They had their hands clasped between them, and they tried to copy the steps of the adults around them. They were both laughing and smiling, and it was the first time Will had enjoyed himself since he left Camp Half-Blood._

 _The song came to an end all too soon, and Bay and Will, still giggling, said their goodbyes. It was time for Bay to head home, he said, but that he'd really enjoyed dancing with Will. He even raised Will's hand to his lips and pressed a teasing kiss on his knuckles before he left. Will's heart soared._

 _A strong hand gripped Will's upper arm, and fear's icy touch trailed down his spine. "Come with me," a dark voice hissed in his ear, their warm breath fanning over the shell of his ear._

 _Dillon tugged him into the bathroom. He checked to make sure no one was in any of the stalls before he turned and looked back at Will. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bloodshot. A bead of sweat trickled down his face as he panted heavily. "What, pray tell, were you doing with that boy?"_

 _Will's eyes were wide. He took a steadying breath before replying in a small voice, "W-we were dancing."_

 _Dillon's eye twitched. "Do you think it's_ okay _to dance with another boy, Will?"_

 _Will blinked in confusion. All they did was dance together. It wasn't like they were doing anything that nobody else was. "I thought we were allowed to dance," he murmured._

 _Dillon's hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of Will's shirt, pulling him forward by the chest. His other hand latched onto Will's wrist and his thumb pressed into Will's pulsepoint. "It is never,_ ever _okay for a boy to dance with another boy, Will." Will's heart sped up, and Dillon smiled when he felt his pulse skyrocket. "I don't ever want to see you disgrace this family like that again." As he continued, he shook Will to punctuate each sentence. "You are never to enter any sort of romantic relationship with another boy, or I will forbid you from ever going to that camp again. It is_ wrong _, it is_ disgusting _, and it is_ forbidden _. If you want to dance, you will dance with a girl that_ I _approve of. That goes for any relationship. If I don't give you permission, you will be severely punished for it."_

 _Tears stung Will's eyes. "B-but—"_

 _Dillon slapped him across the face. Tears spilled from Will's eyes as his hand came up to cradle his throbbing cheek. Dillon's second hand joined the first where it was still fisted in the front of Will's shirt. "You don't talk back to me," he instructed in a low, threatening voice. "You are only who I say you are. Your father took one look at you and decided he could never stay, not even for your beautiful mother. I am being generous by letting you stay with my family. If you want that generosity to continue, you will do as I say. And I say you will never love another boy. Is that understood?"_

 _Quaking, Will nodded quickly._

" _Good." Dillon let go of his shirt and took a step back. "Wash your face with cold water so that mark fades. Tell no one, ever, about what happened in here. If you do, I will find out, and there will be consequences. When it no longer looks like you've been crying, you can come out of this bathroom. And when you do, Will, you will smile like this is the happiest day of your life. Have I made myself clear?"_

" _Yes," Will whispered._

" _Smile," Dillon instructed. Will obeyed, albeit shakily. Dillon shook his head. "You don't look happy enough. Make sure your dimples show. Practice in here if you have to. When you come out, it better look like the sun is shining through your smile." And on that note, he left the bathroom._

 _Will ran over to the sink and hurriedly splashed cold water on his face, all the while trying to regulate his breathing. After a few minutes, his eyes were no longer red and his cheek only looked a little bit red. He could play it off and say he had been resting his head in his hand and the red mark was from that, but instinctively he knew that in the morning there would be a bruise there. He'd come up with a good lie later. He smiled at his reflection, but quickly decided that that one looked too scared, too nervous. Dillon's words repeated in his head:_ like the sun _. He tried again and again, until, finally, his smile shone, exactly like the sun._

"Will? Are you okay?"

Kenneth's voice jolted him back into the present. "Uh, yeah. Yeah. Sorry, I was just lost in thought." He realized that Kenneth had sat down rather close to him, and he tried to subtly create a little more space between the two of them.

"They're wrong, you know."

Will glanced at Kenneth in surprise. "What?"

Green eyes regarded him curiously. "Whoever told you that you shouldn't be attracted to another guy."

"How—how did you know—?"

"You said you were from the South," Kenneth shrugged. "Lots of religious people down there, and a lot of the time that means closed minds. I think you mentioned that before to me, anyway. Besides," he added, a crooked grin forming on his face, "I'm a son of Aphrodite, Will. I know when someone is attracted to someone else."

Will blushed and turned away, hoping to hide it.

Kenneth laughed. "It's okay; it's not like you're the first person," he teased. His eyes glanced up and down Will. "You're pretty cute, too," he added. Will turned even redder at the son of Aphrodite's words. Kenneth smiled at him for a moment, and then he stood up. "It's not wrong, Will," he said quietly. "Just remember that." And with that, he walked away.

Will stared into the lake for a long time after that, thinking. He thought of freckles and dancing, he thought of pain and smiles; however, when he went back to his cabin before dinner hours later, it was green eyes that lingered on his mind.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading, and thanks again to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited! You guys are awesome.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey, guys! I'm getting back in the habit of things, and school's pretty much over, so I should be updating more frequently. Thank you to everyone who has read/favorited/followed/reviewed this story even though it's been inactive for a while. I'm sorry about that. You guys are absolutely the best and give me so much motivation. This story wouldn't be possible without you.**

 **For those of you wondering about Nico...We still have a few more chapters to get through (maybe one or two? No more than three for sure, and I doubt it'll be that long to begin with). But don't worry! He'll be there :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any of its characters. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

 **Warning: Just a brief mention of mildly strong language, but I still like to warn just in case. Also a canon character injury.**

 **Enjoy!**

The infirmary door opened with a bang. Lee, who was searching for something in the supply closet at the time, jumped and hit his head on a shelf. Will nearly dropped the canteen of nectar he was holding. Both brothers looked toward the noise to see Michael standing in the doorway, not looking apologetic in the slightest, even as Lee glared at him.

"You two," he declared, "have been cooped up in here for too long." Will opened his mouth to protest, but Michael cut him off before he could say anything. "No, don't argue, Will. You guys have been working since breakfast ended. You didn't come to lunch, and now we only have two hours before dinner. It's time to take a break."

"Michael, we have work to do." Lee protested.

"All you're doing is restocking the infirmary and taking inventory. There's no one to treat in here." Michael shot back.

"Restocking is very important."

"It can also wait until tomorrow."

"You do realize that I'm the one in charge of you, right?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Please. Without me, the two of you would work yourselves to death. We all know who _really_ keeps the Apollo Cabin afloat."

"I'm pretty sure it's still Lee," Will piped up.

Lee laughed as Michael turned to look at Will, betrayed. "Will," he said, "you wound me. I can't believe my own little brother would stab me in the back like this."

Will smiled brightly. He always loved hearing Lee or Michael call him their little brother. It really made him feel like a permanent part of a family.

"Nevertheless," Michael continued, bringing Will's attention back to him, "I came here with a mission, and I am, without doubt, the most stubborn brother."

Lee and Will were silent. It was true.

Michael smiled triumphantly. "Come on, guys. Let's go canoeing or something." When they didn't respond, Michael's gaze hardened. "I will get Luke and Clarisse to drag the two of you out of here," he threatened. "They both owe me a favor."

That got both of them moving. Will hurriedly placed the canteen he was holding on a random bedside table and ran over to Michael. Lee closed the closet door and soon joined them. Michael grabbed Will's right wrist and Lee's left and dragged them outside; Lee and Will both squinted when the bright sunlight accosted their eyes, and Michael scoffed at them. "You two are sons of Apollo. You shouldn't be hiding from the sunlight." Lee and Will both ignored him.

Michael did end up dragging them to the lake, but instead of canoeing, he suggested that they all take a swim. Lee ran back to to the Apollo Cabin to get their swimming trunks, and Michael flopped down on the sand, motioning for Will to lay down next to him.

He did, and he let out a sigh as the sun soaked into his skin. _Michael is right_ , he thought. _Apollo kids do need to be in the sun_.

After a brief period of silence, Will asked Michael something he hadn't asked any of his siblings before. "Michael, do you have any siblings?"

Michael turned his head to face him, regarding him with confused brown eyes. "Uh, yeah? You guys," he said.

Will shook his head, looking back up at the sky. He was afraid to meet Michael's eyes. "I mean," he began, "I—" He stopped. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly, hoping that the older boy wouldn't notice his unease. He started again. "I mean siblings apart from us. On your mother's side."

"Oh. Well, yeah. I've got two brothers. One is older than I am, and the other is younger."

Will didn't know why, exactly, but Michael's answer made him feel sad. "What are they like?" he asked softly.

"Okay, well, my older brother's name is Jacob, and my little brother's name is Alexander, but we all call him Al. My mom had Jacob when she was a teen. He goes to visit his dad sometimes, but typically we don't talk to him or about him much. My mom married Al's dad when I was three, and Al was born a year later, almost exactly." He laughed softly before continuing. "Jacob's really smart. He was just accepted into Harvard, so I guess soon I won't be as far away from him as I am now. Boston's not too far from New York. Al is kind of the golden child, even if he is so young. He's athletic, but he's smart and resourceful, too. Everyone loves him, for some reason."

That caught Will's attention. He turned to face Michael again. "What do you mean, 'for some reason'? Both of your brothers seem really cool."

Michael met his eyes and shrugged. "They are. In the opinion of other people. But I think they're both kind of boring. All they care about is themselves. Every second of every day is devoted to improving and perfecting their skills. Don't get me wrong," he said hurriedly, "there's nothing wrong with that. But they have always been so focused on school or sports that I've really never heard them talk about anything else. They have their own lives, and I have mine. I'm cool with it, because I'd choose you and Lee over Jacob and Al anyday." He smiled at Will.

"Really?" Will smiled back.

Michael nodded. "Definitely. In fact, they were complaining the last time I visited them that all I ever talked about was what you and Lee had been doing, how awesome you guys were, and how excited I was to go on that hiking trip we planned."

Will's heart swelled with happiness. It felt like there was so much that he needed to say, but he couldn't string together the words to say them. Finally, he settled on, "We think you're a great brother, too, Michael."

Michael sat up and reached over to ruffle Will's hair. "Lee Fletcher, Michael Yew, and Will Solace. The best trio there ever was. The best _brothers_."

Sand sprayed over them both before anything else could be said. Lee smiled sheepishly and tossed their swim trunks at them. "Sorry I'm so late; Silena had a question about the next counselor meeting."

They each took turns changing behind a tree that Lee assured them wasn't the home of a nymph. When they were all finished, they headed toward the lake. It was getting fairly late, and there wasn't anyone else at the lake, much to the sons of Apollo's delight.

Michael, in true Michael fashion, immediately started a splash war. Will didn't have time to dodge or duck before he got a faceful of lakewater. He sputtered and brushed his wet blond curls from his eyes. Grinning, he wiped water from his eyes. Lee yelled, "I've got your back, Will!" and Will heard Michael scream in outrage. Once he could see clearly again, he lept into battle, sending a huge wave of water cascading over Michael.

"No fair!" Michael yelled. "You guys can't gang up on me!"

"We can and we did!" Lee shouted back. He trudged through the water to Will, grabbed him around the waist, and slung him on top of his shoulders. Will knew that Lee probably shouldn't be supporting the weight of a nine-year-old, especially, since Will was tall for his age, but his brother had broad shoulders and strong arms from archery, and Will was having too much fun to care.

When Michael saw Will on top on Lee's shoulders, he went for a different method of attack. He ducked under the water and swam towards Lee. When he broke the surface, he jumped out at his brother and wrapped his limbs around Lee's midsection, effectively knocking him off balance. Will and Lee both screamed as they were engulfed by the water.

The world went quiet and Will opened his eyes. He couldn't see much in the murky lake water, but he felt Lee's hands loosen around his ankles. When he was sure that he wasn't going to kick Lee, Will pushed his way to the surface.

Michael and Lee had already resurfaced, and the latter was glaring at the former. "It's dangerous to tackle people," he accused.

Michael rolled his eyes as Lee crossed his arms over his chest. "You're just bitter that I won against the two of you," Michael shot back.

A mischievous glint entered the Apollo counselor's eyes, and he uncrossed his arms as he said, "Yeah, that wasn't fair at all. How could someone as short as you topple two people as tall as us?"

Will roared with laughter as Michael sputtered indignantly. Lee received a faceful of lakewater.

* * *

They splashed around for a another half hour, and then Lee declared that they should start getting ready for dinner. Reluctantly, Will and Michael acquiesced. As they were walking back to their cabin to change, Will said, "Thanks for forcing us to take a break, Michael."

The dark haired boy grinned. "That's what I'm here for: making sure you knuckleheads don't work yourselves onto a gurney."

"We wouldn't do that!" Lee protested.

Michael raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "Yes, you would. You'd make sure Will didn't, but he'd be making sure that you didn't either, and then both of you would just end up in the infirmary anyway. You may be doctors, but you guys suck at taking care of yourselves."

They arrived at the Apollo Cabin, and the three brothers changed quickly back into their T-shirts and shorts. Then, they made their way down to dinner together.

Abby was sitting next to Brooke, but Will didn't see Cyrus anywhere. Michael walked past Will and sat down across from Brooke. Will sat next to him, and Lee sat on Abby's other side. "Where's Cyrus?" he asked.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "He's trying to break a personal record. He wants to prove that he can hit a bullseye one hundred times in a row. Beckendorf and Clarisse are counting for him."

"He was at sixty-two when we left him," Abby added.

"How long ago was that?" asked Michael.

Abby and Brooke looked at each other and shrugged. "Maybe ten minutes ago?" Abby guessed.

Lee sighed. "Well, I guess we shouldn't be expecting him to join us anytime soon."

Eventually they got their food and went to scrape an offering into the fire. Will was standing behind Lee, and though he couldn't be sure, he thought he heard his older brother ask their father to watch over Grover, Annabeth, and Percy. It made Will immediately feel guilty. He hadn't asked for the campers' safety once the entire time they had been gone. When Lee finished and it was Will's turn, he prayed to his father. _Hey, Dad. Uh, I hope you like the smell of pulled pork. Anyway, I just wanted to ask you to watch over everyone on that quest. The headlines have been kind of crazy, and I think they'd appreciate divine help. So...thanks._

He felt awkward after the prayer, but also better now that he had done it. He made his way over to the Apollo table and rejoined his siblings. Michael and Abby were fighting over whether wind or string instruments were superior; Lee was watching them in amusement. Brooke was completely engrossed in the burrito she was eating, and Will couldn't blame her—it looked delicious. Will sat down and started to eat his sandwich, only giving the instrument debate half of his attention.

"Guys," Lee interrupted, "you should probably eat your food before it gets cold." He looked pointedly at the stew and the pizza slice sitting on their plates. Michael and Brooke both looked surprised, like they had forgotten that their food was there, but they quickly mumbled their assent and ate with gusto.

Will eyed Michael's pizza. "You eat pizza for lunch every single day," he said, sending daggers at Michael's meat lover's.

Abby groaned. "And you two have this argument nearly every week!"

In retaliation to both of his siblings, Michael took an enormous bite of his pizza. With his mouth still full, he said, "Gif i' up, Will. Ah am not chanvin' my eatin' habuts."

"Gross, Michael!" Brooke said, wrinkling her nose.

Lee interjected, "Michael, don't talk with your mouth full. Will, don't nag him about his lunch. Although," he added, "Will _is_ right, Michael. Eating that every day is unhealthy."

Michael swallowed and then shrugged. "Think of it like this," he said. "The gods dictate our lives from the moment we're born to the moment of our deaths. I'll be damned—"

Lee's hands flew to cover Will's ears. "Michael!"

"—if I die the way they want me to. So, if having a slightly unhealthy body means I'm not defending them to the best of my ability, so be it. I get to control the way I die, even if it's something as insignificant as that."

They all stared at him for a second, and then Brooke said, "That's the worst logic I've ever heard in my life."

"It is not!" Michael defended.

"It totally is," Lee agreed.

Will and Abby said, "Yeah," simultaneously.

Michael pouted and was about to shoot back a retort when Cyrus ran up to them, drenched in sweat but grinning triumphantly. He let out a whoop, loud and disruptive enough that some campers from the other tables turned their heads to look at them. Ignoring the stares, Cyrus plopped himself down next to Will. "Guys," he said proudly, "I beat my personal record! One hundred bullseyes in a row, baby!"

Everyone congratulated him, some more enthusiastically than others, and Lee told him that he needed to hurry up and get something to eat since dinner was ending in fifteen minutes. After Cyrus had scraped a portion of his meal into the fire and returned to the table, conversation resumed. Apparently, according to Abby, Luke Castellan had been venturing into the forest lately, and word had it that he was either praying to his father to keep Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood safe, or that he was meeting with a wood nymph. The Aphrodite Cabin in particular was rooting for the latter, especially since no one knew how a relationship like that would work out. Some had tried following him to find out, but Luke was Luke, and if he wanted to do something secretly, then no one was going to find out about it until he let them in on it.

Soon enough the conch sounded, and everyone hurried to eat the last bites of their meal, especially Cyrus. Once he had finished, Lee led them back to the Apollo Cabin. They gathered around one of the golden wooden columns before going inside, where Lee's latest project was on display.

"So, this is what you've been working on," Cyrus mused, gazing in adoration at the carvings.

"Yep," Lee said proudly. "I'm not finished yet, but then again, this is a big project. When I'm done, all of our names will be up there, along with a blurb about each of us."

They all turned to look at Lee in surprise when he said the last part. Will knew—they all knew—that Lee was carving the names of the people in their cabin on the column, including the names of past Apollo campers, supplied by Chiron. But they didn't know that he was planning on writing something about them, too. The project had already made them all feel really special and proud of their thoughtful older brother, but now...now the gesture seemed so much more sentimental and intimate. Every demigod knew that they would one day die, and that that day was probably not too far away. But with Lee's project, their names and a small piece of them would always be here at Camp Half-Blood, and they would never be completely forgotten.

"A blurb?" Michael asked quietly.

Lee's eyes soften as he regarded each of them. "Yes," he said, "I'm not gonna let any one of us go to the Underworld without his or her—or, as I probably should include, their—name being carved on a column. When I fill up one column, I'll just move on to another. One day, maybe the entire cabin will be covered with names, but that's okay. Just promise me something." Here he paused, and his gaze raked over all of them again. "When I die—" Everyone started protesting, but he held up his hand to stop them, and then continued. "When I die, whoever becomes counselor next, they will finish this for me. Promise me that they'll keep adding names as we get campers. Because, as much as we protested his logic at dinner tonight, Michael is right. The gods take a lot from us, and sometimes we forget that we aren't just demigods—we're a human family. And this family is never going to fail each other, right guys?" All of them nodded tearfully and a chorus of _I promise_ answered Lee's words. He smiled at them. "Let's go inside, shall we?"

As everyone started to file through the door, Will hung back with Lee. "Thank you," he whispered to his brother.

Lee reached over and ruffled his hair. "I would do anything for you guys."

* * *

"Will! Lee! It's Percy; he's been poisoned!"

Beckendorf's shout made Will's blood run cold. He met Lee's eyes, both gazes filled with horror, and then they snapped into action. Lee ran to the door of the infirmary to help Beckendorf get Percy inside, and Will rushed to push a bed close to the door. Lee and Beckendorf came around the corner right as Will got the bed in place. They laid Percy on the bed and Will immediately started scanning his body for signs of harm. He soon spotted one. "Here, on his hand," Will told Lee.

It was obviously a sting of some kind, but it was way too big to be an insect's. The poison had definitely entered Percy's body here; the skin around the wound was swollen and quickly changing color. Lee must have been thinking the same thing because he told Beckendorf to go back to the forest and look for a monster or animal that might have caused this, but to be careful. The son of Hephaestus left hurriedly. Will turned back to the son of Poseidon.

"What do you think it is?" Lee asked him.

Will shrugged. "At this point, I'm not sure. We need to get the poison out of him before we do anything else, though. Hand me that canteen of nectar."

Lee handed it to him, and Will poured a little of it into Percy's mouth. The dark haired boy groaned, but he was still unconscious. He was sweating, and heat was radiating off of his skin. Will grabbed Percy's wrist and placed his thumb on his pulse point. He frowned. Percy's pulse was much slower than it should be; the poison was taking effect fast.

Will turned to Lee. "I need you to go get Chiron. Hopefully by the time you get back with him I'll have figured something out, but we may end up needing his abilities."

Lee started to protest. "Will, I'm not leaving you to do this alone—"

"Go," Will commanded, "Percy doesn't have long. Anything that you could say, I already know. But I need you to get Chiron before he gets too much worse, just in case. Please, Lee."

Lee stared at Will for a long moment. Will felt a little bad for saying what he had. This was the person who had taught him nearly everything he knew about healing. Lee was his _brother_. What right did Will have to tell Lee that he didn't need him?

Lee sighed. "Do what you can," he said. Then he rushed out of the infirmary, shouting Chiron's name as he went.

Will poured a little more nectar into Percy's mouth. There was almost no change. His breathing was still labored, his pulse was still faint, and his skin was still pale and clammy. Chiron and Lee told him that his powers should only be used in emergencies, when nothing else worked. It took so much energy. Lee also didn't like him using them without being in the room himself to make sure Will didn't overdo it. But he didn't see any other option; Percy wouldn't make it if he didn't do something immediately.

Will closed his eyes. Gently, he placed his hands over the sting on Percy's, one on top of the other as though he was about to start chest compressions. He reached within himself and searched for the energy supply that would heal the son of Poseidon. Once he found the warm, glowing mass, he concentrated on redirecting its flow so that it left him through his hands and entered Percy's body through his wound. Though he couldn't see it with his eyes closed, Will could tell that the energy was encompassing the wound and healing it. He felt it rushing after the poison that had entered Percy's veins, catching up to it and then overcoming it, successfully stopping it in its tracks. He felt his own health and wellness, his own energy, dilute the poison until it was no more, just as it had done to the poison in Malcolm's bloodstream all those years ago.

A groan sounded from the bed, and Percy blinked his eyes open. He was clearly disoriented, but most of the color had returned to his skin, and when Will placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature, he noted that he no longer had a fever.

Will, on the other hand, felt slightly dizzy, and he knew that his own skin was gleaming with sweat now. Doing his best to hide the shakiness of his hands, Will reached for the canteen of nectar from earlier. Handing it to Percy, he said, "Here. Take a small sip."

Percy obeyed. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he had formed any audible words, Lee came rushing back into the infirmary, Chiron close on his heels in centaur form.

Percy managed to speak before anyone else did, surprisingly enough. "Chiron," he croaked, "Chiron. Luke...it was Luke."

Silence rang through the infirmary. Lee, Chiron, and Will all stared at Percy.

"Percy," Lee began tentatively, "you just got stung by something poisonous. In fact, I'm not sure how—"

Lee broke off and his gaze landed on Will, who smiled sheepishly and gave his older brother a weak wave in response. Outrage and concern battled for dominance in his gaze, but Percy was speaking again before he could do anything.

"It was a scorpion," he said dismissively. "Will healed me. The important part is that it was _Luke_ —" Percy's voice broke on the Hermes counselor's name. Will quickly got him a glass of water, hoping that it would revitalize him a little. Then he cursed himself silently for not thinking of Percy's tendency to be healed by water before he used his powers. Percy accepted the glass. "Thank you, Will. But really," he turned back to Chiron, "Luke was the friend. H-he was the friend who the oracle said would betray me. He's trying to bring Kronos back," Percy finished in a whisper.

"Percy," Chiron said sternly, "these are serious allegations. Luke has been a trusted counselor for many, many years, and he's been a role model to nearly every demigod here—"

"The hellhound," Percy interrupted. "When I first came to Camp Half-Blood, at the end of my first capture the flag game. A hellhound was there; it attacked _me_. Monsters can only come into Camp if someone inside invites them in. Luke was the first person to ever try to befriend me here. He gave us winged sandals to use on the quest, but they nearly flew Grover into Tartarus. They were meant for me to wear—Luke admitted that to me, he admitted _all_ of it! Please, you have to believe me. We _have_ to _do_ something!"

As Percy kept talking, Lee made his way over to Will. "Take a small sip," he urged Will, handing him a glass full of nectar. "We'll talk about this more later."

"Please, Chiron. I didn't want to believe it either, but it's true. He's left Camp. Iris Message him, I don't care, but you have to believe me. He tried to kill me." Percy sounded utterly defeated by the end of his monologue.

"He hasn't been the same."

Will jumped at the sound of Lee's voice, as did Percy. Chiron looked at him sharply.

"His quest changed him," Lee continued softly. "Ever since he came back, he's seemed more resentful, more bitter toward the gods. We all know that he's never exactly...liked... Hermes as a father figure. I don't think that what Percy is saying is very improbable," Lee concluded quietly.

Chiron looked back and forth between Lee and Percy. Then his eyes landed on Will. The old centaur must have figured out how, exactly, Will had cured the son of Poseidon. His eyes softened. "Go to your cabin, child," he said. "I know that that must have taken a lot out of you. Rest, now." He looked at Lee. "I will talk to Percy privately about this. If anyone comes into the infirmary, I will take care of them. You go take care of Will." Lee nodded, seemingly relieved to be able to do something useful again, and made his way over to Will. He crouched down so that Will could climb onto his back, and then he stood back up.

Before they were out the door, Chiron said, "Lee. Make sure word of Luke's possible betrayal doesn't spread. We don't want to cause unnecessary panic."

"I understand, Chiron," Lee promised.

As they left, Will distantly heard Percy ask, "Is Will okay? What happened to him?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed with a little rest," Chiron promised. "Will is young. Healing serious wounds like yours can sometimes...deplete his energy."

"Yup," Lee said, popping the 'p', "'deplete his energy'. You, bro are going to rest for _at least_ twelve hours, no negotiations. I will put people on watch if I have to," he threatened.

Will only hummed in response. He _was_ really tired. Maybe he should start using his powers more, so it didn't affect him so much every time. He'd talk to Lee about it in the morning, along with this whole Luke fiasco. Right now, it wasn't his concern. In his sleepy state, he had complete confidence that Percy, Chiron, and his big brothers would fix everything.

He didn't know it then, but he was wrong.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading!**


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